The Gift
by cheergirlejami
Summary: Days story set in the future.  EJ Wells and Sami Brady Roberts are coparenting a child together, although they are not a couple.  When tragedy strikes their daughter, will they be able to overcome their past differences for the sake of their child?
1. Chapter 1

**The Gift**

_December 2012_

Author's Note: Ejami tale set in the future, EJ and Samantha's daughter Madison is in the hospital, she has been running a very high fever and is tired most of the time. The doctors are running tests to see if they can determine what is wrong with her. EJ and Samantha are not together as a couple, but they are co-parenting Madison. I'll leave the rest of the facts to the story. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll answer as best as I can, seeing how this tale popped into my mind today while I was at work and wouldn't leave me alone until I sat down to write it. Hope you enjoy. Please let me know if you like it.

_Salem University Hospital_

_Late evening_

"Please tell me the story," Madison requested for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. She was tired and irritable no matter what her mother tried to do for her.

"Honey, I've gone over all the bedtime stories and you keep saying that's not it," Sami patiently explained to her beautiful five year old daughter, who had hair as black as coal and eyes as blue as Blue Bonnet flowers growing wild on the prairie.

"I need Daddy," Madison cried as she rubbed her eyes. "He knows which one I'm talking about."

"Daddy will be here soon," Sami replied, touching her hand to Madison's forehead and then reaching over to get the cloth she had been using to cool her skin. Her fever had not come down in two days and after a visit to the pediatrician's this afternoon, Madison was sent over to the hospital for tests.

Sami had been sick with worry, Madison, or Maddie, as she liked to call her daughter, had not been herself for the past week. She prayed everything would be all right; Maddie was her pride and joy, the sweetest little girl. Sami had called EJ as soon as the pediatrician had placed Maddie in the hospital. He had been out of town on a business trip, but had told Sami he would be in as soon as the Mythic jet could get him there.

"Where's Daddy?" Maddie asked, the tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Right here Sweetheart," came the answer to her question, as EJ came into the room and placed a kiss on her tear stained cheek.

"Oh Daddy, I knew you'd come," Madison wrapped her arms around her father's neck, holding on like she would never let go.

"Of course I would," EJ reassured his daughter. "I came as soon as your mother called me."

EJ looked up and across the bed, to meet the worried eyes of Sami, who mouthed a wordless thank you to him as pulled up a chair and sat down beside Madison's hospital bed.

"Daddy, please tell me our special story," Madison pleaded. "Mommy doesn't know it and I keep trying to tell her and she doesn't know which one I'm talking about."

"Yes, I would love to know which one," Sami added with an upraised eyebrow. "I have tried Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid and Maddie will have none of it."

"Sweetheart, are you sure you really want to hear that one? I don't think your Mum would like it."

"Oh yes she would if she ever heard it," Madison declared even though her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Will you promise to get some rest if I tell you the story?" EJ asked, always treating his daughter with such love and affection that it was rare if he ever denied her requests for something from him.

"Cross my heart," Madison made the sign with her fingers.

"Well then, I guess your Mum will finally learn about our special fairytale."

Sami sat forward, as anxious to hear the tale as her daughter, especially since it seemed to hold such importance to them both.

EJ began to stroke his daughter's hair as he began the story.

"Once upon a time, in a far, far, away land, there was a brave princess warrior, one who was fearless and bold and did not have to rely on others to help her."

"Daddy, talk about her hair," Madison interrupted adding. "I love that part of the story."

EJ kept his eyes on his daughter, not looking as Sami, and continued, "The brave princess warrior had hair the color of spun silk and when the sunlight's rays would shine upon her tresses, there was none in the land that had such gorgeous hair."

"She was pretty, wasn't she Daddy?"

"The most beautiful woman in the land," EJ said quietly.

"Tell me about the prince Daddy!" Madison urged her father onward to tell the tale.

"Well the prince was sent by his father on a mission, one the dark prince didn't fully understand, but he was brought up to respect and honor his family and went to the land of the brave princess warrior, unknowing how his life would change upon meeting her."

Madison smiled and sighed, "Oh now, talk about how they met and became friends."

"Well the dark prince had no close friends growing up, his father made sure that trusting and being a true friend to someone would only weaken you, but then when he met the princess, she changed all that, she became his friend, in fact his best friend. When the prince heard her laughter and saw her smile it simply took his breath away."

Sami took a deep breath, no this wasn't a fairy tale she had heard before, but it was one that her daughter and father most have spoken of many times when they were together.

"Daddy, you have to tell about the magic dance they shared," Madison prompted on her father to continue with the story.

EJ gave a wry smile to his daughter, "The music started and when the prince took the princess into his arms it felt like she had always belonged there with him. Their movements were in perfect sync, when the princess smiled at him, it broke the barriers to his heart and he knew there would never be another woman for him. This princess was the most special princess in the entire world. He was instantly smitten with her. She was unlike no other he had met before, with her quick sense of humor, intelligence and beauty. While others could not see her kind heart, the dark prince knew immediately that she was one of kind, a treasure to behold."

"How much did the prince love her Daddy?" came the question that she knew her father would always answer?

"With all his heart," EJ whispered, not daring to look up into Sami's eyes for fear that she would know his feelings for her had never changed.

"Now the sad part," Madison said, her mouth turning down at the corners.

"The prince and the princess were kept apart by their families who had been at war with one another for many, many years. Although they tried their best to get the families to end the feud between them, there was no such luck and the princess found another, leaving her prince to face the world alone without her."

"But not before," Madison chimed in.

"Not before," EJ added quietly, "the princess had given him the best possible gift ever, a gift that he could never thank her enough for as long as he lived."

"Because?"

"Because his brave princess warrior gave him the most precious gift that the dark prince had ever received, and that gift was the fairy dust and pixie sprinkled sprite named…"

"Madison," Maddie answered with a smile and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

EJ sighed and leaned over to kiss his daughter once more, "Goodnight my angel, Daddy loves you more than you will ever know."

Sami could not stop the tears that were streaming down her face. She glanced up to see EJ and when their eyes met there was no denying why Maddie insisted her Daddy knew her most favorite fairy tale because it had been one about the three of them.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part II**_

Sami hastily wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, remembering times when EJ had comforted her when she had cried. She needed to get a grip on her emotions; it had been a very long day, one full of unexpected incidents.

"I'm sorry for crying, it's just…"

"No need to apologize, I knew I shouldn't have told Madison the story in front of you," EJ's tone was laced with regret, he seemed to want to say something else, then shook his head as if he thought better of it.

"She wanted to hear it," Sami nodded and rose up from the chair at Madison's bedside to walk over to the window.

EJ followed Sami and stood behind her, not close enough to touch her, but still Sami could feel his presence. Sometimes she missed the days when EJ would be there for her even when she didn't want him to be and now he kept her at arm's length, careful not to cross a boundary that would lead them into friendlier territory.

Sami knew it was safer that they kept their distance, but on days like today when she saw him interact with their daughter and witnessed the depth of his love for their child, it hurt to realize what she had carelessly tossed away.

"Samantha, we need to talk," EJ's voice broke through her reverie, making her push aside the past and face the present.

"I know," she turned to face him, eyes clear of tears, trying to arrange her facial expression so as not to wear her emotions upon her sleeve.

"What is going on with Madison? I've been on pins and needles ever since I got your call this afternoon."

"I have too," Sami agreed, feeling a knot in her stomach as she looked over to where their daughter was sleeping. "Dr. McAllister sent us over here to run tests when he couldn't determine what was wrong with Maddie."

"She seemed fine this weekend when she was with me," EJ offered up, then added, "but she wasn't very energetic. I just thought it was due to the upcoming holiday parties and the excitement of Christmas being around the bend."

"She's been listless and then started running a fever. At first I thought she was coming down with a flu bug, and then her fever started climbing higher. I gave her Motrin, and then alternated with Tylenol, but nothing helped." Sami shrugged her shoulders, "This afternoon I got scared when her temperature wouldn't budge below 102 degrees, so I decided to take her to Dr. McAllister. When we got here some of the nurses took some blood from her, which didn't go over to well with Maddie."

"I can imagine," EJ almost reached for Sami's hand, then stopped before he could complete the gesture.

"We're not going to know anything until tomorrow so if you want to go home, I'll stay," Sami proposed. "I know you've got to be tired coming in from out of town and having jet lag."

"No, I'm going to stay," EJ shook his head in response and looked around the room in the dark, the only stream on light coming in from the partial opening in the doorway. "You go ahead and go home to your family."

"Maddie is my family," Sami stressed not wanting to raise her voice and wake their sleeping daughter.

"Well she's all that I've got," EJ remarked with the barest hint of bitterness in his tone. "I'm sure Lucas wouldn't want you to stay here with me, now would he? Although I do appreciate you having the decency to call me when Madison was placed in the hospital this afternoon…"

"As if I wouldn't call you, you're her father EJ. You have as much right to be here as I do." Sami tried not to let her anger get the best of her and start an argument with EJ since that was the last thing she needed this evening. How could EJ go from such a loving and tender tone with Madison to the almost icy reception he was giving her now cut her to the core?

"Thank you for acknowledging that pertinent fact," EJ turned away from Sami as he looked around the room trying to calm down before he began saying things he shouldn't say to her.

Sami just wanted to cry, she'd had a bad day and now to top it off EJ was going to be stubborn and not go home when all she had been trying to do was be considerate and nice to him. "I just thought you might need some rest because I don't know how long we might end up being here at the hospital. I know these chairs aren't very comfortable. I wasn't trying to exclude you."

EJ turned back to face her, noting that Sami was trying not to cry. He didn't mean to take things out on her; he was just upset and worried about Madison.

"Forgive me Samantha, I'm just stressed," He ran a hand through his dark hair then let it fall by his side.

"I am too," Sami nodded her head in agreement. "I'll go on home and let you stay tonight and I'll be back first thing in the morning. Just call me if something happens to Maddie."

"I will, you have my word," EJ promised wanting nothing more than to take Samantha in his arms and hold her, for them to draw strength from one another, but she was another man's wife and for the second time tonight he refrained from his impulse to reach out to her.

"Okay." Sami walked over to Madison's bed and kissed her daughter goodnight whispering, "I'll be back in the morning baby doll." She walked to the doorway; wishing things were different between her and EJ, she stopped for a minute to look back at him, "Goodnight EJ."

When he didn't say anything, Samantha walked out into the hallway, tears now falling over how far apart they were to one another.

He didn't reply until he was sure Samantha had left the room and then whispered, "Goodnight my brave princess warrior."

Then he loosened up his tie and settled down in what had to be one of the most uncomfortable chairs ever designed by man. He knew sleep would be a long time coming if at all that night because he was plagued with troublesome thoughts about what the future would hold for Madison. He couldn't lose her, for as he had said to Samantha earlier; Madison was all that he had left in this world.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part III**_

Sami was relived to see when she arrived home that the entire household was asleep. Will was home on winter break from UCLA and most nights he was out rather late visiting old friends from high school, but as Sami checked his bedroom, he was sprawled out in his bed fast asleep.

It was a nice change to have Will home; he had grown up so much since he had left for college. Now in his sophomore year, he seemed more like a man, than the young idealistic boy she had sent off with trepidation to California last year. The only drawback to this newfound stage in Will's life was that he was becoming more observant of his parent's relationship, or as the case may be the lack of relationship, at least on his mother's part.

Sami recalled a conversation she had with Will only this past weekend when Madison had went to spend her appointed weekend with EJ. Sami and Will had gone to brunch alone, both wanting to catch up with one another, but Sami definitely hadn't been expecting the turn their conversation had taken after they had finished eating their meal.

"_Mom, what's going on with you and Dad?"_

"_Whatever do you mean Will?" Sami asked wondering if Will could sense the tension she and Lucas had been experiencing lately with one another. Sami had been trying her best to make Will's brief time at home an enjoyable one, but evidentially she had not been as successful in her mission to keep up appearances as she had presumed._

"_You're not happy. I can tell it."_

"_Of course I'm happy Will. I'm thrilled that you are home with us, even if it is only for a short time. I've been so looking forward to spending time with you, to hear all your stories about college."_

"_I'm not talking about being happy to see me. I'm talking about how sad you seem."_

"_I'm not sad. Why would you think that?"_

"_Mom you don't laugh anymore with Dad. I don't see you two smiling at one another or talking much at all."_

"_Will, I think you're trying to overanalyze things between me and your dad. There's nothing wrong."_

"_Then why doesn't your smile seem to reach your eyes anymore? It's like you're with us, but not with us at the same time."_

"_Will, I've just been really busy lately. Having you home and making preparations for the holidays. It always is a busy time of the year and I've had a lot to do. You know you and your sister make me happy. You're both my life."_

"_Did you just realize what you said? You said Madison and I make you happy, but what about Dad?"_

_It took a moment for Sami to regain her composure to answer Will, but she had tried her best to convince him that everything was okay, although she wasn't entirely sure that her son had believed her._

After Will had left home last year, Sami realized how much she had tried to make a happy home for her son. She had felt obligated to Will to at least give him the one thing he had desired ever since he was a small child. To have his parents together and for them to live as a family together under one roof was important for Will. Sami had done the right thing, married Lucas because she was sure after they were married she would finally find the peace and contentment she had been seeking her whole life.

It was too bad she had been wrong in her thinking that Lucas was her hero that being his wife would make her life complete and whole. Ironic really, considering how hard she had fought to make things work between she and Lucas.

More often than not, especially over the past two years, Sami had come to the stark realization that she had been living her life to please others and in the process of trying to make everyone else content, she had lost a part of herself that she feared she would never be able to attain again. The joy she thought she would obtain over having her family's approval had proved to be of little comfort when she realized all she had sacrificed to ensure their good favor.

Sami went into the bathroom to wash her face before she went to bed, the most depressing thing was when she looked in the mirror, and she barely even recognized who she was anymore.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part IV**_

Sami arrived back at the hospital as the dawn was breaking. She locked her car and entered the hospital, making her way to Madison's room. Sami didn't want to miss talking with Dr. McAllister as he made his rounds this morning, knowing if she missed him, it would probably be late evening before he came back again to check on Madison.

Sami hoped he would have good news for them, she just couldn't possibly imagine something being wrong with her little girl. Maybe all that was wrong was Madison had been going too much lately and just needed to rest. After all it had been rare since

Madison had turned the age of two that she would even lay down during the afternoon to take a nap; it was almost like Madison was afraid she would miss something if she fell asleep.

The hallways were almost deserted, the morning shift not in full swing yet. It was quiet and dark in Madison's room. Sami immediately was drawn to the figures before her. Her daughter sleeping soundly and EJ's elongated frame in the hospital recliner that was obviously not long enough for his body.

She could see the faint stubble outlining his strong jaw line and how tousled his hair was during his somnolence. His face didn't have the hard planes upon it as it had last night when they had almost gotten into an argument before she had left the hospital. It was nice to observe him like this, his being unaware of her gazing at him, not having to hide her obvious interest in him. She moved closer, close enough to run her fingers through his dark hair, to touch his face and before she realized it, she brushed her fingers across his cheek.

EJ had barely dozed off again, his night being a rather uncomfortable one; since he could not find enough room in the crowded recliner to fully rest. Most of the night he had simply stared at his daughter, without a doubt she was the most remarkable child he had ever encountered. Knowing he was more than a slight bit biased when it came to his child, he was extremely proud of her. Madison was such an inquisitive child. Many times he wondered if Samantha had been like this when she was a child, then he would try to deter his thoughts away from thinking of Madison's mother. Even after all this time it hurt to ponder to much on what might have been if Samantha had chosen to spend her life with him instead of Lucas.

Now in the brief moments between slumber and awareness, EJ could have sworn he felt the barest touch upon his face, without knowing he reached out to see what it was that was caressing his skin. His fingers curled around something soft and fleeting but he caught hold of it before it could slip away from him. He opened his eyes and heard the soft gasp of surprise come from Samantha when she realized he was awake.

Sami pulled away her hand as if it had been burned and placed her fingertips to her mouth.

"Good morning to you too," EJ quipped, his eyes narrowing a bit when he realized Samantha had been the one who had awaken him. He certainly hadn't been expecting her to be standing there when he had awakened this morning.

"Ah EJ, I was just checking to see if you were awake," came the lame sounding excuse from Sami. She really was losing her touch with reality when touching EJ's face had been the most interesting thing to happen to her in a few weeks.

"I am now," he arose from the recliner and stretched his arm above his head, the opening in his tailored dress shirt revealing a bit more of his chest than Sami had seen in quite some time.

"Good, well did Madison sleep well?" Sami turned away from him and went over to Madison's bedside, trying to banish the thoughts of how sexy EJ looked in the morning despite having a less than agreeable nights sleep in the hospital room.

"On and off," EJ stated, as he walked over to the bed too. "There were a few times she woke up, but I would talk to her for a few minutes then she would drift off back to sleep."

Sami was about to say something else to EJ, when Dr. McAllister came into the room.

"Mr., Wells, Mrs., Roberts, I'm glad that you are both here. I need to speak to you about Madison's test results."

_**The Gift**_

_**Part V**_

"Do you mind if we go to my office?" Dr. McAllister asked, holding a file in his hands. Sensing Sami and EJ's hesitation to leave the room he added, "I'll have one of the nurses come stay with Madison until we are finished with our discussion in case Madison wakes up she won't find herself all alone in the hospital room."

"Thank you," they both said in unison before they even thought about it and followed Dr. McAllister out of the room and into his office he used when he was at the hospital. Dr. McAllister had summoned a nurse to stay with Madison until Sami and EJ returned.

As they entered the room, Sami felt a feeling of dread coming over her, if Madison's test results had been okay, wouldn't Dr. McAllister be explaining things to them in her hospital room instead of ushering them both into this office?

Apparently EJ must be having the same thoughts; he looked as concerned as she did when she looked over at him.

"Please have a seat," Dr. McAllister gestured to the chairs facing his desk.

EJ and Sami took a seat as Dr. McAllister had requested and waited for him to speak.

"EJ, Sami, after the initial blood tests I ran yesterday, I think we need to run more tests to determine exactly what is going on with Madison."

"Did something abnormal show up in her blood work?" EJ asked, his concern growing over how serious Dr. McAllister appeared.

"The reason I sent Madison over here in the first place was because of her symptoms, I noticed besides the fever and apparent fatigue that her lymph nodes in her neck felt swollen. Sami, can you remember how Madison winced when I felt of her neck?"

"Yes," Sami answered. "What does this mean?"

"I don't want to alarm either of you, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. When I was going over the blood samples we had taken yesterday from your daughter, Madison has an abnormal amount of white blood cells in her bloodstream. There are two main types of white blood cells, lymphoid and myeloid cells. The lymphoid cells are the cells that are being affected."

"What are you trying to tell us?" Sami interrupted him, her fears mounting by the second. "We both need to know exactly what you think is going on with Madison."

"I believe Madison may be suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I wanted to talk to you about bringing Dr. Lykens onto this case with me. He is one of the best child cancer doctors in the field of medicine and if anyone can help Madison, it would be him."

"Oh my god," Sami closed her eyes, not wanting to believe she and EJ were actually having this discussion with Dr. McAllister. EJ reached over and grasped Sami's hand into his, hoping to calm her by letting her know he was there for her.

Seeing how upset Sami was Dr. McAllister said in a calm manner, "Sami, I don't want to upset either one of you, but it is imperative that we begin to treat Madison if she does indeed have this disease."

"How do you find out for sure if Madison does have leukemia?" EJ's voice sounded strained as if he were doing his best not to lose his composure.

"I believe the next step we need to take is to do a bone marrow extraction on Madison. We would need to get a sample of her bone marrow. In this procedure, I would insert a needle into a large bone, usually the hip, and remove a small amount of liquid bone marrow for examination. Then I'll examine the bone marrow to determine the extent of the disease. Of course I need your permission to do the test."

EJ looked over at Sami and squeezed her hand in reassurance. "We want the best possible treatment for our daughter, I want no expense spared."

"I'll see to it that you are given the proper forms to fill out. I need to see a few more patients and I'll be back shortly. Please feel free to use my office. I know this is a lot of information to absorb and you both need some time to reflect upon what I've just told you."

"Thank you," EJ stood to shake Dr. McAllister's hand. "Samantha and I will be back in Madison's room in a few minutes. We just need to get a reign on our feelings before we go into her room."

"Both of you having positive attitudes will go a long way in helping Madison cope with what she may be facing in the future."

With that note, Dr. McAllister left EJ and Sami in his office, knowing they both needed privacy after hearing such devastating news about their child.

EJ looked to Samantha, his heart breaking, this couldn't be happening to Madison.

"Oh Samantha," was all he was able to get out before Sami arose, reached up and threw her arms around his neck, clutching him as tightly as Madison had done the night before when he had come into her hospital room.

The sobs that overtook Sami were ones that were utterly heart wrenching. EJ could feel her body shake as he held onto her and his tears started to fall too. The minutes passed while they held onto each other, crying together, both wondering what the future would hold for their daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Gift**_

_**Part VI**_

Finally they pulled apart, both shaken over the turn of events that had led them here.

"We've got a lot of decisions we're going to have to make," EJ said quietly. "I hope we'll be able to work together to do what is best for Madison."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sami replied, tears rolling down her face when EJ pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over to her. Not trying to dry her tears as he had done several times in the past, rather letting her take the handkerchief herself.

"My darling, you never seem to have one of these when you need it," he did he best to try and lighten the situation.

Sami was taken aback slightly, EJ hadn't called her darling in such a long time, now the only times Sami heard endearments from EJ it was in regards to their daughter, not her personally. She tried not to make too much of it, EJ was only being nice to her to keep her from falling apart emotionally.

She kept the handkerchief in her hand, needing something in her hands to keep from reaching out and taking his hand as they began to walk the hallway.

"EJ, I promise to put aside our differences to help Madison," Sami stopped outside the doorway so that Madison wouldn't hear their conversation.

"That means a lot to me Samantha," EJ slumped back against the wall to sit down on the floor, his head dropped so that Sami couldn't see his eyes. "I just don't want Madison to know that I'm scared. I'm usually in control of things, can handle my emotions, but this…"

"I'm scared too EJ," Sami squatted down beside him and brought her hand to his shoulder, lifting his chin, usually EJ was the one towering over her, it was a change for him to be looking up at her. "I just want to wake up and for all this to be nothing more than a bad dream."

"Me too," EJ agreed, feeling a kinship with Sami that he hadn't felt in years.

"What are we going to tell Madison?" Sami asked, wondering how they would tell her daughter about her illness.

"Why don't we see what the bone marrow test results are first? Maybe Dr. McAllister is wrong, maybe this test will prove that Madison doesn't have leukemia," EJ was doing his best to rationalize, to put off the inevitable.

"We're going to have to tell her about the test," Sami said bringing them back to reality.

"I'm not looking forward to doing this," EJ said, looking back down at the floor, feeling helpless.

Sami stood up and held out her hand to EJ for him to stand up. "It will be okay, we'll do this together."

EJ clasped Sami's hand within his own, his feeling of despair not leaving him, but at least he knew had someone by his side that he could count on. Today at least he knew he had gotten back his long lost friend Samantha.

"Together," EJ affirmed and they walked into the hospital room to talk to their daughter.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part VII**_

Madison had apparently woken up while EJ and Sami were with Dr. McAllister since she was holding up her doll Molly for the nurse to see.

"Yes, she is beautiful," the nurse commented, taking the doll from Madison's outstretched hands to review.

"She is pretty like my mommy," Madison exclaimed. "My daddy bought her for me when I saw her at the store. I love her blonde hair." Madison took back Molly from the nurse and started to stroke the doll's wavy blonde hair. "Do you know where my mommy and daddy are?"

"We're right here sweetie," Sami announced forgetting to let go of EJ's hand as they entered the room.

Madison turned to see her parents, her eyes widening in surprise, "Mommy, you are holding Daddy's hand!"

The nurse turned to look at Sami and EJ, wondering why this was such a surprise for Madison. Sami quickly jerked her hand from EJ's, trying not to make it look obvious that she had no answer to her daughter's observation.

"Daddy does have nice hands, doesn't he Mommy?"

"Uh, well yes, he does," Sami gave EJ a look, hoping he would help her, but he looked as if he was about to start laughing over Sami's sudden discomfort over having Madison notice they had been holding hands.

"Daddy always holds my hand when we go places," Madison beamed at her father, her adoration for him shining in her eyes. "It always makes me feel safe."

"Thank you for such a wonderful compliment Sweetheart," EJ bent down to give Madison a kiss on the forehead. "I like holding your hand too."

"Do you like holding Mommy's hand too? Why are you two holding hands anyway?" The innocent questions kept coming forth from Madison as she looked expectantly between her parents waiting for her father to answer her.

Now it was Sami's turn to grin as EJ hesitated before answering Madison's question.

"EJ aren't you going to answer Madison," the teasing tone was apparent in Sami's voice. It had been so long since either of them had bantered with one another that Sami had forgotten how much she liked putting EJ on the spot to see what he would say.

EJ shot Sami a look that Sami couldn't quite decipher and then answered, "Yes, I guess I'd have to say that holding your Mum's hand is rather nice."

"Daddy, you didn't answer my other question," Madison looked to EJ with eyes so much like Sami's that it was uncanny.

"Excuse me," the nurse interrupted saving EJ from having to answer the other question, "but I'm going to leave you with Madison since you are back."

EJ turned to her, "I need to speak with you for just a second if you don't mind. Madison, I'll be right back."

"To answer my question?" she asked as EJ swore he could see where Madison's mischievous side came from seeing mother and daughter both together in the same room.

"I will as soon as I get back," EJ promised as he exited the room with the nurse.

"Mr. Wells, what can I do for you?" the nurse asked when they were out in the hallway.

"I want my daughter moved into a suite, preferably to have it ready by the time she is finished with her procedure this morning," EJ was straight and to the point. "Also anything she needs, anything at all, I want it done. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," the nurse nodded, realizing Mr. Wells wasn't a man to defy.

"I don't mean to be curt, but I don't know how long her stay will be and I want her to be as comfortable as possible," EJ was quick to add, he didn't want the hospital staff to get the wrong impression, but he also wanted the best care for his child. "Also, her mother and I need to be able to be here with her and it would be more suitable for us to have some privacy with our daughter."

"I'll go make the arrangements right now," the nurse assured EJ. "Madison seems like such a sweet child. I hope she will be all right."

"Thank you, I do too," EJ said as he went back into Madison's hospital room.

Sami gave him a questioning look and he mouthed "We'll talk later." She nodded and turned her attention back to Madison.

"Daddy you said you'd tell me why you and Mommy were holding hands," Madison began again when Lucas entered the room hearing her.

"That's something I'd like to know too," Lucas stated, a frown forming on his face as EJ and Sami looked to one another, both at a loss for an answer to give him.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part VIII**_

Madison's eyes widened when Lucas entered into the room. He looked mad and she bet it was because of what he'd heard her say. Sami immediately decided to deter what she knew would be the start of a fight between her and Lucas.

"Let's go outside," Sami touched Lucas' elbow to steer him out of Madison's hospital room, she didn't want Madison upset and she was quite sure Lucas was about to blow up at her after hearing she and EJ had held hands, however innocent the situation may have been.

Thankfully Lucas held his tongue until Sami led him to an outside courtyard at the hospital. "What in the hell is going on?"

Hearing Lucas use one of her father's catchphrases almost made Sami laugh, god knew she needed to laugh, but Lucas took her expression as laughter at his question.

"Earth to Sami," Lucas waved his hand in front of her face trying to capture her attention.

"Lucas, I'm sorry, I've had a rough couple of days and I'm not in the mood to fight."

"Or in the mood for anything else," he muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me, what did you just say?"

"Nothing," Lucas wasn't sure he wanted to get into that particular argument with Sami at the moment considering that she and EJ were up to something together. "I do want to know why you are running around behind my back with EJ."

"Where in the world did you get a crazy idea like that?" Sami was trying hard not grow irritated with Lucas, but lately every time they were in the same room with one another all they did was argue and fight.

"I come into Madison's room to hear her asking about you and EJ holding hands. What am I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to give me the benefit of the doubt, not accuse me of being unfaithful to you!" Sami raised her voice, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

"This is EJ Wells we are talking about," Lucas began to get up in Sami's face, but she stepped back away from him.

"I know," Sami rolled her eyes at Lucas, not even bothering to hide her irritation at him any longer. "Why you are jealous of EJ still is beyond me!"

"Let's see, he's Madison's father, which ties him to us forever, he is constantly coming over to the house," Lucas began his usual litany of sins concerning EJ to while Sami tuned out not wanting to listen to him go on and on. She was tired of Lucas' fears and accusations concerning EJ.

Finally Sami held up a hand to stop his tirade, "EJ only comes to the house to pick up Madison when it is his weekend or holiday for her to spend with him. EJ does not come to the house to see me."

"You're blind if you don't think he's not interested in you anymore," Lucas threw out another age old accusation that Sami didn't want to hear.

"You're crazy Lucas! EJ and I have to be civil for Madison's sake. He does not want me."

Lucas snorted his disbelief over that statement. "If EJ has no interest in you beyond being Madison's mother, then why were you two holding hands?"

"We were upset, that's all," Sami rubbed her eyes, she could feel a major headache coming on and she sure didn't need to start crying again. Madison needed her to be strong, especially today.

"What is going on? I mean you leave the house with only a note for me and Will. Did you not think I wanted to know what was going on with Madison?"

"If you hadn't of come barreling into the hospital with a chip on your shoulder the size of Texas, I might be able to have told you what was going on with her."

"Tell me now," Lucas urged her, not bothering to apologize for being upset at her, but knowing if he didn't stop pestering her that Sami was going to leave him out here with no clue as to what was going on with Madison.

"Madison might have leukemia," Sami said resignation in her voice, "and to be quite honest with you Lucas I don't have time to waste out here arguing with you over EJ. I didn't want to wake you up so early because you told me you had that big job over at the new subdivision. I thought I'd tell you later, and then you come in here throwing unfounded accusations when I need to be in the room with my daughter trying to take care of her."

"Look Sami, I'm sorry," Lucas tried to bridge the distance between them to give her a hug, but Sami turned away.

"I am too, about a lot of things," Sami left Lucas standing in the courtyard all alone. She knew they needed to discuss a great many things, but right now she had to concentrate on her daughter. The talk she needed to have with Lucas would have to come later.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part IX**_

"Daddy, are Mommy and Lucas fighting?"

"Why would you ask such a question?" EJ pulled up a chair to sit down beside Madison's bed so that they could be on eye level with one another.

"When Lucas came in here, he had that scrunched up look on his face that he gets right before he and Mommy start to fight. Is he mad at me?" Madison's expression was one of worry.

"No, Lucas isn't mad at you," EJ try to assure Madison, but she looked doubtful over his answer.

"I wish he liked you," Madison said, as she pulled her dolly closer to her side.

"Well Darling, Lucas and I are just very different people," EJ tried to explain, wondering how much in depth he should try to go in telling Madison about the situation. He didn't want Madison to dislike Lucas, but sometimes hearing the comments she made to him about Lucas and Sami it was hard not to tell her how he really felt.

"Like how you have good table manners and he doesn't? Or that you should say please and thank you? Things like that?"

EJ tried his best not to laugh over the observations his daughter had made, "I guess you could say that, but if we all acted the same, the world would be a very boring place."

"I like how you act better," Madison stated her preference for him instead of Lucas. "There are sometimes when Mommy says we have to ignore the boys when they do not have proper et, eti. What is the word again that you have been trying to teach me?" 

"Etiquette?"

"That's the word," Madison nodded. She had the look of concentration on her face as she tried to pronounce the word, "Etiquette, that is what Lucas does not have very much of. I try really hard not to giggle when Mommy rolls her eyes at him."

"Please refrain if at all possible," EJ doing his best not to break out in giggles along with his daughter. "Lucas is your stepfather and you have to respect him."

"I know, but I wished he respected you being my daddy. I love you and when he says bad things about you it makes me mad," Madison's eyes narrowed and her smile turned into a frown.

"He says bad things about me where you can hear them?"

"No, it is when they think I can't hear them argue. I mean I can't help it if I hear really good," Madison stated while EJ imagined his daughter obviously had inherited Sami's insatiable curiosity and ability to eavesdrop on other's conversations.

"You wouldn't be listening to conversations when you shouldn't be, are you?" EJ asked trying to see if Madison would confess to eavesdropping.

Madison got that look that Sami would have when trying to find a good explanation for her actions; it was almost like looking into a mirror sometimes how much mother and daughter were alike. Madison put on her most angelic expression, "No Daddy, as I said before I have very good hearing."

EJ did break out into laughter then, bending over to kiss his daughter on the cheek, "You, my angel, are simply adorable."

"Of course I am, I'm your daughter," Madison added with an impish smile, one that made her father's heart swell with love and joy each time she bestowed one upon him.

While daughter and father continued to talk, Sami stood in the doorway, taking in their conversation and seeing how much they loved one another tugged at her heartstrings. Madison had to be okay, she and EJ couldn't survive without her being in their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Gift **_

_**Part X**_

"Hey there sweetie," Sami said coming into the room after observing EJ and Madison talking together.

"You're back Mommy," Madison smiled watching her mother come into the room.

"Yes, I'm back," Sami nodded her head as she pulled up a chair beside Madison's bedside.

"When can I go home?" Madison asked looking at both of her parents with expectancy.

"Well Dr. McAllister wants to run another test to see what is making you feel so weak and tired," EJ answered touching her forehead and still feeling how hot Madison was temperature wise.

"I feel better," Madison began although both EJ and Sami could see that she was trying to convince them to take her home. "I don't think we need any more tests."

"Maddie, I know you want to go home, but we have to listen to Dr. McAllister," Sami began to explain, not wanting her daughter to be frightened, but knowing they had to let her know that she was going to have a procedure done sometime today.

"I don't want a test, I want to go home," Madison stubbornly maintained, her spirit as feisty as Sami's was when faced with something she did not want to do.

"Sweetheart, we want you to be able to go home too, but first you have to do this test."

Before EJ and Sami could say anything else, Dr. McAllister came into the room, giving Madison a big smile, but Madison didn't return one to him.

"Madison, I'm going to do another test on you," Dr. McAllister began, his voice comforting and soft so as not to alarm her.

"I've already told Mommy and Daddy that I don't want to do a test," Madison's lip started to pout and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Madison, I wish I didn't have to run the test either, but sometimes doctors have to gather information to help them with their jobs. Do you think you can be a brave girl and help me?" Dr. McAllister didn't want to push too hard, but it was imperative that the test was run.

"Come Mommy and Daddy come with me?"

Dr. McAllister was in a quandary, hospital policy was against such practices, but he couldn't let Madison be upset either. He decided to do what was best for his patient; he would allow Sami and EJ to accompany Madison. "Yes, your parents may come with you."

Both Sami and EJ felt relieved, they did not want their daughter to be alone during the procedure. Each took one of Madison's hands and held them while Dr. McAllister continued to talk.

"Madison, may I speak with you mom and dad alone for a few minutes? I can have Nurse Jasmine come in to talk with you while we are gone."

"I like Nurse Jasmine," Madison smiled as she took her hands from her parents to reach for her doll. "Maybe she and I can play with Molly."

"I bet she would love it," Dr. McAllister agreed and went to speak to Jasmine. He returned a few minutes later with Jasmine who started talking to Madison while Dr. McAllister led EJ and Sami out of the room.

"Thank you for allowing us to accompany Madison," EJ said after they went back to Dr. McAllister's office.

"I'd rather Madison not have a fear of me or being at the hospital if I can possibly help it," Dr. McAllister explained, hoping that this small infraction of the rules would help their state of mind. They had been given quite a blow and he was afraid more bad news about Madison was to follow if his assumptions of her medical condition were correct.

"Thank you Dr. McAllister," Sami did her best to smile, but at the moment she was scared.

"I need for you to know what to expect during the procedure. First off, we are going to give Madison a slight sedative in her juice so that she will relax. When we take her to the room, we are also going to numb the hip area that is to be the biopsy site, so that when I insert the needle into the site for the extraction it will not hurt as much."

"This is going to hurt her?" EJ asked, his heart constricting over the thought of his child going through pain.

"She will feel a slight burning sensation at the beginning when the needle is inserted; a larger needle will be used for the collection of the marrow and bone fragment. The most painful part of the procedure is when the marrow is extracted. The good news is that is a very brief part of the procedure and it only takes a few seconds to complete. Madison is going to feel some pressure during the procedure. The reason we are going with the bone marrow extraction is for confirmation of the disease. Believe me, if I didn't have to do this procedure, I wouldn't."

"We understand Dr. McAllister," Sami was trying her best to stay calm although her emotions felt like they were on a roller coaster ride. "How long will the procedure last?"

"Normally about twenty minutes. After the procedure, we will keep Madison lying down for at least a half hour. Then if she feels like it, she can get up and move around the room. We have readied her suite per Mr. Wells request and after the procedure, Madison will be going back to that room."

"Will there be side effects from this procedure?" EJ asked wondering what to expect after the bone marrow extraction was completed.

"Usually there are not many side effects from the procedure, in some cases there is a mild soreness in the area, but hopefully nothing beyond that will occur with Madison." Dr. McAllister informed them.

"How soon are you going to do this?" Sami asked, wanting it to be done quickly before she could think about it.

"We are going ahead in the next hour," Dr. McAllister arose from his seat, giving them both a look of assurance.

EJ and Sami looked at one another, knowing the next few hours would determine what lay ahead for their daughter Madison. Together they walked back to Madison's room in silence both trying to ready themselves for the upcoming test.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XI**_

Sami and EJ's presence seemed to calm Madison, although they could tell by looking at her she was scared when she saw the room with all the equipment readied for use that was necessary for the bone marrow extraction. Having to witness their daughter going through the procedure was difficult enough even with Dr. McAllister mentally preparing them for what would happen.

Mercifully the procedure ended quickly, then Madison was taken to her new room. The new accommodations were very spacious and would allow for Sami and EJ both to be able to stay with her comfortably. A few hours had passed, but no word from the doctor yet about the test results. Dr. McAllister had promised to do a rush on the results for them as anxious as they were to know the outcome.

By the time Madison was settled in her new hospital bed, with her doll Molly placed securely beside her, she was finally able to doze off to sleep. Sami and EJ were both quiet, neither of them really knowing what to say. For now they had to wait for the results.

EJ decided to go home to change since he'd been at the hospital as soon as he had arrived in Salem the evening before. Sami stayed and said if she Dr. McAllister came around before EJ came back to the hospital she would call him immediately.

An hour after EJ had left, Belle entered Madison's room, her shift as assistant head nurse had started earlier, but she had not had time to come see Sami until this moment.

"Hey," Belle reached out to touch Sami's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze, "sorry I wasn't able to see you sooner, but we've been swamped with patients. I've just gotten a breather and headed right up to see you."

"It's okay," Sami replied, nodding her head, she knew her sister's workload was extremely busy. Ever since Belle had graduated from nursing school she had taken charge of her life. Sami was proud of her younger sister, she had really grown up over the past few years. Long gone was the spoiled little sister who seemed to get everything she ever wanted in life and she and Sami had become very close.

"Are you holding up all right?" Belle asked, knowing full well the fear Sami was going through by all the things her own daughter Claire had faced.

"The not knowing is what is killing me," Sami sighed and got up from her chair to move away from Madison's bedside. "You don't know anything yet, do you?"

"No, and I know for a fact Dr. McAllister will tell me that I'm too emotionally involved to deal directly with Madison's case."

"I figured as much, but I thought I'd ask," Sami looked forlornly at Madison who was sleeping peacefully. "Would you do something for me Belle?"

"Anything Sami, what do you need?"

"If EJ and I get bad news concerning Madison, will you call Mom and the rest of the family for me? I just don't want to fall apart talking to them on the phone. It will be hard enough to face them if things are looking bleak."

"Sure thing, I'll make all the necessary calls. By the way, where is EJ? I thought he would be here with you."

"He left a short time ago," Sami twisted a strand of her hair around her finger hoping the Belle wouldn't ask her any more questions about EJ. It wouldn't do for Belle to realize that Sami was thinking of EJ far too much as it seemed because then Belle would be relentless in trying to get Sami to admit her feelings for him. Right now she couldn't even voice what was going on with them, much less trying to sort it out by speaking of it out loud.

"Where is Lucas? I thought maybe Lucas was here and EJ didn't want to be in the same room with him or something."

"So far I haven't had to play referee with Lucas and EJ, then again the day isn't over. Lucas is at work. I told him to go on to the project site that I'd be fine without him being here."

"Well if things get too intense between EJ and Lucas, please let me know," Belle requested as if she fully expected the two men not to get along with one another. Their history of animosity towards one another was common knowledge.

"Why so you can enjoy the show if they get into a fight?" Sami asked, knowing how well Belle loved keeping tabs on whatever was going on in the hospital.

"Of course, because EJ and Lucas disliking one another only places a close second behind Shawn and Philip," Belle replied as she thought about the two men in her life who constantly tried to outdo the other in regards to her.

"Belle, I have you know that I like everyone in Salem," EJ said catching the tail end of Sami and Belle's conversation. He had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a button down, opting for comfort instead of the corporate power suits he usually wore.

"Sure you do EJ," Belle winked as she teased EJ with an ease Sami wished she herself could obtain with him once again.

"I'm the epitome of kindness in this town," EJ replied back with a smile of mischief of his own, then surprising Sami by drawing her into the teasing mode. "Isn't that correct Samantha? No one outshines either one of us do gooder's, do they?"

"We're definitely paragons of virtue," Sami quipped back more easily that she would have thought, slipping into an easy camaraderie with the man that used to be the best friend she had ever had until circumstances drove them apart.

Belle rolled her eyes and they all laughed together until Dr. McAllister entered the room and in that moment even before he spoke a word Sami knew without a doubt that the news she had been hoping for was not going to come true. It was just something in the manner in which the doctor had entered the room. As Sami looked to EJ, it was almost as if he was contemplating the exact same thought.

"Sami, EJ, I need to see you both in my office." Dr. McAllister spoke as he held Madison's file in his hand, the file both knew would clearly predict what was in store for their child's future.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XII**_

"Please take a seat," Dr. McAllister motioned to EJ and Sami after they entered his office. He opened the folder and laid out several pieces of paper upon his desk. "I wish I had better news for you both, but after running the bone marrow test, there isn't any doubt about the results. Madison does has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."

Sami took a deep breath, and shook her head in denial, it just couldn't be so, and this wasn't supposed to be happening to her baby girl.

EJ reached over to grab her hand, he didn't really know if he took her hand to keep his from shaking so or to calm Sami down. Whatever the reason, she allowed his hand to grasp hers.

All was quiet in his office, as a doctor he hated giving parents this type of news about their child. "I'm going to bring in Dr. Lykens, I called him as soon as the test results were verified. He will be meeting with you sometime tomorrow for you to talk to and also for a second opinion on this diagnosis. We will need to do a spinal tap on Madison also."

Somehow EJ found his voice, "Why do you need to do a spinal tap?"

"The spinal tap, or lumbar puncture, checks for leukemia cells in the cerebrospinal fluid-the fluid that fills the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord. There are many different subtypes of ALL and we need to determine the exact subtype so that we can treat Madison with the best possible course of treatment."

"What are Madison's options for treatment?" EJ asked, fear evident in his tone, he couldn't even look at Sami, only continued to hold onto her hand.

"The primary treatment for ALL is chemotherapy. We will design a specific group of drugs that we feel will be treat her type of cancer. We will have a schedule of treatments that Madison will undergo. I'm going to give you both some literature to look over if you decide to do a clinical trial, which is a method that involves using experimental drugs to aggressively treat the cancer."

Finally Sami spoke up, "Are there any alternatives to chemotherapy?"

"Depending on the type and extent of the disease, patients may also have biological therapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow transplantation. If we need to go the route of bone marrow transplant, does Madison have any siblings?"

"Her half-brother Will," Sami answered softly.

"He needs to be tested to see if he is a match," Dr. McAllister said, his voice solemn.

"If he doesn't match?" Sami asked, her heart sinking with each minute that Dr. McAllister continued talking to them.

"Siblings are usually a better match, but you all need to be tested."

"We will," EJ affirmed, finally looking over at Sami.

When Sami saw the despair in EJ's eyes she couldn't take it any longer. She shook her head again and grabbed her hand away from EJ's knocking over her chair in the process, "I can't do this," was all EJ heard before she escaped out the door.

"Excuse me Dr. McAllister, I've got to go find her," EJ was up and out of the door behind Sami before the doctor could say another word.

EJ looked down the hallway, searching for some sign of Samantha when he saw a door close to the ladies restroom. Without hesitating he went in to find her.

"Samantha, sweetheart, are you all right?"

The sounds of her retching were evident, along with the broken sobs in between ragged breaths. EJ pushed opened the door to the last stall in the restroom to see Sami on her knees. He kneeled down beside her on the floor uncaring if anyone came into the restroom, she needed him and he wasn't going to leave her no matter what. When she finished being sick, he pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay Samantha,": was all EJ said to her over and over as he held onto her rocking her gently while he stroked her hair.

When she finally calmed down, Sami looked at EJ and said, "Nothing is ever going to be okay again."

"We can't give up, we have to be strong for Madison," EJ reminded Sami, while he continued to rock her against him, not even realizing he kissed the top of her head in an effort to calm her.

"I can't do this," Sami said in a daze, as the words Dr. McAllister had told them replayed over in her mind.

"You're the strongest person I know Samantha, if anyone can get through this, it will be you," EJ said with a conviction that helped clear Sami's mind. "We just have to calm down and try to come up with a way to explain all of this to Madison without scaring her."

"We'll do it together right?" Sami asked, trying to recall their conversation from earlier, it seemed like ages ago since they had agreed upon working together to do what was best for Madison.

"I promise," EJ replied as they both became self conscious of their surroundings. Sami arose first, noticing for the first time since she had escaped into the restroom that EJ had followed her in there, no questions asked.

EJ walked over to the sink to get a paper towel to wet it. He handed it to Sami so she could wipe her face, then stopped before giving it to her and gently washed at her face. "We'll get through this Samantha, somehow, someway."

"I hope you're right," Sami took the paper towel from him and they proceeded out of the restroom amid stares from people watching them as they left the room to go back down the hallway. Neither one of them caring, they had more important things to worry about, they had to get ready to fight for the life of their child.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Gift**

**Part XIII**

As soon as Sami entered Madison's room, she felt like she was going to throw up again. How in the world were she and EJ going to be able to explain this to her? She fully didn't understand the implications of everything her daughter was going to face in the upcoming days, weeks, months, possibly years of treatment, so how would Madison take the news?

Sami thought of how EJ had stepped into the restroom and helped take care of her when she'd lost it over hearing Dr. McAllister's news. The man who could calm her down instantly when she went overboard was also the man who could make her mad quicker than anything imaginable. How was it possible that EJ could bring all these emotions within her to such extremes?

"Mommy & Daddy, you're back!" Madison exclaimed when they stepped into the hospital suite, one that had a lot more room and was cheerier than her previous room.

"We're back," Sami answered, going to one side of Madison's bed, while EJ went to the other side so that they were both on either side of their daughter.

"They put me in a new room," Madison said with a frown upon her face.

"Isn't this is nice room?" EJ asked his daughter. "We thought you'd be more comfortable here."

"I want to go home, I'm comfortable there," Madison stated firmly. "I know when I asked earlier you told me Dr. McAllister had to do that test, but now it is over."

"Sweetie, we just have to stay a while longer," Sami began trying to alleviate her daughter's fears when all she wanted was for her to be able to take her home also.

"Why?" Madison's eyes began to fill with tears. "This hospital isn't fun."

"I know it isn't much fun, but we will be here with you," EJ took a chair and sat as close as he could to Madison.

"You and Mommy will both stay with me?" Madison looked confused, she wasn't used to both of her parents staying in the same room for any length of time, usually when one parent was there, and the other parent was either picking her up or dropping her off.

Sami sat down on Madison's bed and stroked her hair, "Yes, Daddy and I are going to be here with you because you are going to need to stay in the hospital a while longer."

"I don't like it here," Madison clutched her doll tighter to her. "Please mommy, I won't tell any more lies and blame Claire for things I did instead of her, or pull Ciara's hair and then act like she was making it up."

EJ caught Sami's eyes, he wanted to laugh over Madison's confessions because they sounded so much like her mother, but he didn't want her feelings to be hurt by his laughter. At least his daughter had fighting spunk and personality; god knew she was going to need it in the months ahead.

"Sweetheart, it is okay, you are not being punished because of things you may or may not have done," EJ's voice was kind and understanding, calming Madison as easily as he could calm Sami when the need arose.

"I'm not?" Madison's turned her tear filled eyes to her father, and he took out a handkerchief to dry her eyes.

"No, but I have a story to tell you. This is going to be a new story to go along with our other stories we have made up."

"A new fairy tale?"

"Brand spanking new tale, hot off the presses so to speak," EJ began, his voice immediately capturing Madison's and Sami's attention.

"Oh Daddy, I can't wait to hear it," Madison said, her tears forgotten as soon as EJ mentioned a new fairy tale for them to enjoy.

"Well, since you are the fairy dust and pixie sprinkled sprite named Madison, this is a tale about you. You know all sprites have magical powers, ones that others would love to possess, but only the chosen few have the ability to bring such love and happiness to others as you have done. Well now you have to face a battle to preserve the land, one that will be very hard for you to do, but of course the dark prince and brave princess warrior will reunite forces to help their most precious sprite in all the kingdom. Together they will battle the forces that try to take the sprites magical powers away from her."

"Daddy, will I have to face dragons?"

"Possibly, but you will not be alone, because we will be there to battle whatever come up with you."

"All three of us working together?"

"Yes," Sami answered reaching over to take EJ's hand to place both of their hands over Madison's much smaller hand. "We don't know everything that is going to go on for you in the future Madison, but believe me, we will all work together to get you better."

"So I am sick?" The reality was beginning to sink into her young mind.

"Yes," EJ answered trying his best not to falter, he didn't want Madison to know he was upset or scared because then it would make her scared too. "But we are going to have the best doctors and nurses taking care of you to help you get better."

"Mommy, Daddy tells me I am a fighter; that sprites have to be smart and inventive to survive in the world." 

"That's true sweetie, you are going to have a tough battle ahead of you, but I believe you will get better." Sami drew strength from EJ, he'd never let go of their hands.

"One day I'm going to be a warrior like you Mom," Madison declared whole heartedly.

Sami leaned over to kiss Madison's forehead, "You are already on your way baby doll to becoming a warrior."

"Yes, she is," EJ agreed with Sami and smiled. He was with the two people that mattered most of him in this world and despite the circumstances, he was glad to be there with them.

Sami was so thankful to have EJ here; he made what could have been a traumatic scene with Madison into a more serene outcome by spinning another of his infamous fairy tales to calm down his daughter. Now she wondered if they ever could have a happy ending or was that only possible in fairy tales?

**The Gift **

**Part XIV**

Belle was truly a godsend, calling everyone that afternoon when it was confirmed that Madison had leukemia and would soon be undergoing treatments. As soon as Belle came back in to check on Madison, she took one look in her sister's eyes and knew the truth. She had hugged them all and then left the room to begin a task she knew was going to shock the entire Brady family.

Belle called Phillip and asked him to come over to the hospital and he rushed over, not even bothering to ask why she needed him to be there, just following his instincts because she sounded upset.

"Belle, what's going on?" Phillip asked sitting down beside her after being directed to a lounge when he had went to the nurse's desk to find her.

"Oh Phillip, I need your help," Belle reached over to grab a tissue as her tears began anew.

"What is it honey? You know all you have to do is ask and I'll do anything in my power to get it done for you," Phillip's voice was kind, as he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her shoulders.

Belle leaned into his embrace, thankful for his presence, "Madison is sick and she is going to need our help."

"Sick how? What happened?"

"Dr. McAllister told Sami and EJ that Madison had leukemia," Belle said trying to gain her composure.

"Oh my god, is Madison going to be okay?"

"It's not going to be easy, but I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Anything you want, just name it," Phillip said without hesitation.

"I want to organize a donor drive to see if we can help them find a match for Madison," Belle sat back up to look at him, hoping that Phillip would be receptive to helping EJ knowing they weren't that close considering Sami was married to Lucas.

"Of course I'll help you do this Belle, thank you for thinking of me," Phillip gave her a smile, glad that he was the first person she turned to in times of crisis instead of Shawn.

"Well I know you and EJ don't really see eye to eye on many things," Belle said recalling the numerous times Phillip would complain of EJ's business tactics when both Mythic and Titan were up against one another competing for contracts and customers.

"I can put aside my feelings to help EJ's daughter. I really like Madison. What do we need to start doing?" Phillip asked, knowing that if he helped Belle with this that it would bring him one step closer to her and he loved how it would drive Shawn crazy that Belle wanted him to help her with this project and not him.

Belle got a sheet of paper and began outlining the project they would need to do to get started, her feelings of hope starting to soar knowing that Phillip would get things done. Sami needed a miracle for Madison and they were all going to have to work together to help make sure that Madison got it.

"I'm going to go talk to Lucas," Sami informed EJ, not wanting to leave Madison, but knowing that she needed to let Lucas know what was going on with his step daughter, especially since he had departed earlier on not the best of terms.

"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere," EJ grabbed her hand before she left the room.

"Thanks EJ, for everything," Sami squeezed his hand back.

Before he even thought about it, EJ brushed his lips to the back of her hand, and if Sami hadn't of been so shocked over his sudden gesture she probably would have pulled away her hand, but she held it there, electrified over the simple act. Then he pulled away and released her hand, letting it fall back to her side.

Sami left without another word, too shaken to say anything else, her emotions warring with one another. She took a deep breath and readied herself to go over to the construction site, hoping that she and Lucas wouldn't fight with one another again.

"Daddy?"

"Yes sweetheart, what do you need?" EJ turned his full attention back to his daughter after watching Sami walk out of the room.

"Can I ask you a question?" Madison looked him square in the eye, her expression very serious to be so young.

"You can ask me anything and I'll do my best to give you an answer," EJ leaned over the railing of her bed and brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Well I know you love me and that mommy does too," Madison began, and then hesitated for a moment.

"We love you more than words can say," EJ said hoping his voice wouldn't break, the love his felt for his child was the most amazing emotion he'd ever experienced.

"Do you love each other?"

"My darling Madison, why are you asking this question?"

"I just want to know," was all that Madison would say, waiting for her father to tell the answer to her question.

"I can't answer for your mother," EJ replied, hoping to evade the question entirely.

"You can answer for yourself though," Madison said not backing down from wanting to hear what her father had to say.

"If I tell you will you not say anything?" EJ couldn't believe Madison was asking him this in the first place, but in all things he had tried his best to be honest with her, something that his own father had failed to do with him for most of his life.

"Cross my heart," Madison took her finger and made an x in the air over her heart.

"Yes, I love your mother, but since she is married to Lucas, I can't tell her," EJ confessed, hating that his five year old daughter could drag the truth out of him when he had tried to hard to hide the truth of his feelings for Sami for years, always doing his best to guard even himself against the truth.

"Why is mommy married to Lucas?"

"It's complicated," EJ struggled to find the words to tell her so that she would understand.

"Well I wish mommy was married to you," Madison stated looking at her daddy and thinking he was the best daddy in the entire world.

"Sometimes we can't have what we wish for," EJ replied sadly, his daughter putting into words the wish he had held for many years concerning Sami.

"Daddy you always say to never give up for what you wish for," Madison reminded him of the many times they had spoken with one another about wishes and dreams.

"How do you manage to see into my heart little one?" EJ's eyes filled with tears as he leaned over to kiss his daughter on the forehead.

"Because you have a kind heart daddy, even if you don't let anyone else but me see it," Madison reached up to hug EJ, her arms holding him tight. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too," EJ held Madison close as he tried not to cry, surely God wouldn't take away the only pure and good thing in his life in Madison or he'd be lost forever.

**The Gift**

**Part XV**

Sami pulled up to the construction site, knowing that she needed to talk to Lucas. She didn't like the way they had left things earlier, and she owed it to him to tell him in person what was happening.

Stepping out to survey the new subdivision that was in process of going up, she felt a sense of pride for her husband. He had finally found his niche in the professional world after leaving the corporate rat race to build houses. He had succeeded in the building world of contractors, suppliers, and home dwelling developers where he hadn't in corporate takeovers.

While Lucas had found success in building, it had taken a toll on their family, his long hours he needed to put into his construction business took him away from them, some days he and Sami rarely had time to say good morning or goodnight before another day began, leaving them to only see each other sporadically. Sami had felt them slowly growing steadily apart for the past few years, their interest were changing, their outlooks on life in general becoming more different from one another.

Now this with Madison, Sami thought, feeling her tears trying to come forth to the surface once more. Her family was going in all different directions and she honestly didn't know how to make them more cohesive. Will going off to college had made her realize now that in her attempt to give him a stable home life, that she had sacrificed living her life with the man she knew would make her happy and that man was not Lucas.

She loved Lucas, but not in the all consuming passion that fired her soul, leaving her searing and wanting for more. She had hoped in time that she could live without passion, that the love she had for her husband would be enough, but lately, it only made her resent Lucas and the choices she had made for her family's acceptance. Approval and acceptance was something she had longed for her entire life, but it didn't help fill the voice in her soul.

Shaking her head, she tried to dispel those traitorous thoughts, she needed for forget her dreams of passion, of love that burned so brightly that she would burn if caught in the flames. Spending time with EJ was not good for her, it only reminded her of all that she had given up, but there was no other choice, she knew EJ would not leave Madison during this crisis and neither would she, so she'd have to be sure not to succumb to his charms.

With that thought in mind, she went to find her husband. It took a while amidst the crew of men working; the noises in the air loud with taps of hammering and sawing going on, but finally she spotted him. Making her way carefully through the unfinished house, she got his attention and he waved, speaking something to one of his workers before coming over to her and leading her out of the house. He removed his hardhat and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Sami, I wasn't expecting you to come by here," Lucas began uncertain over why she was here instead of the hospital.

"We needed to talk," Sami said quietly.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Lucas started to apologize for his behavior when Sami held up her hand to stop him.

"It's okay," Sami tried her best to smile, but she didn't look happy.

"You didn't get good news about Madison, did you?"

Sami shook her head, the words not coming forth as Lucas took her into his arms for a hug. Sami cried again, wondering how she could cry so much in such a few short hours. She was a wreck emotionally.

"I'm sorry," Lucas said, rubbing her back.

Sami finally pulled back and wiped her eyes, "Me too, but I wanted you to know. I'm not going to be home much until we know something more and kind of work out a schedule."

Lucas felt a tightening in his chest, he didn't want to be jealous of Sami spending time with EJ, but he was jealous and couldn't prevent the emotion from invading his heart, he spoke without thinking, "I'm sure EJ will love that."

"Lucas, please, this isn't the time for you to be blaming EJ for something that is beyond his control. Believe me he is devastated by the news, not trying to think of a way to capture my attention."

"I can't help it Sami, I don't like you spending time with him, it only…"

"Only what? Why are you so afraid for me to be around EJ?"

"You know why Sami, don't even try to deny it."

"Deny what? You have no trust in me." Sami shook her head again, trying her best not to lose it, all they seemed to be able to do was argue with one another.

"You're right, I don't trust you," Lucas' confession hurt more than anything else he had said to her lately and they had said plenty of hurtful things to one another, especially this past year. "Do you think I'm stupid? That I don't know how many times you lain in my arms wishing you were somewhere else, with someone else? That I don't notice when you slip out of bed to walk over to the window to stare out at the night sky? You might swear that you don't have feelings for EJ, but I know differently."

"Don't worry; I won't be using Madison's illness as an opportunity to get into bed with EJ!" Sami's chest heaved with anger, she wanted to hit him she was so angry that Lucas didn't think she would be faithful. Then she narrowed her eyes, "I can't even believe you would go there."

"I'm just trying to be honest about my feelings, maybe you should do the same," Lucas said, turning away from his wife, his heart breaking over the vast chasm that was between him, but at least he was facing the fact that he knew his wife was in love with another man even if she couldn't admit it to herself.

Sami stood there watching Lucas walk away from her, stunned over his comments to her, hoping he'd turn back around and say he was sorry, but he kept walking on, going back into the house to leave Sami to think about everything they had said.

Sami walked back to the car slowly, struggling to get the keys into the ignition, her nerves frazzled after their encounter. She finally managed to get the car started to go back to the hospital, Dr. Lykens was scheduled to meet with she and EJ within an hour and she needed to calm down before talking to him.

Driving back to the hospital, Sami contemplated Lucas' words to her, maybe it was time for her to be honest with herself, god knew she had been running from the truth for years, but she wasn't sure she could face the ghosts of her past and right them with her hopes for the future.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XVI**_

EJ and Sami were in another medical office, this one belonging to Dr. Lykens, the oncologist that Dr. McAllister had referred them to earlier. Dr. Lykens was a few years older than Dr. McAllister, his face lined with a few wrinkles, his hair graying at the temples, but his smile was infectious as he greeted Sami and EJ into his office.

They all took their seats and Dr. Lykens wasted no time in outlining the various procedures that would be necessary for Madison. He handed them both various reading materials and a list of books for them to be able to do research on leukemia.

Their conference stretched on for almost an hour, questions from them both about what Dr. Lykens thought would be the best possible treatment for Madison along with what they should expect from the treatments. Dr. Lykens had suggested for them to allow him to put a portal into Madison's body, situated about an inch below her right shoulder, this would allow them to administer the chemotherapy treatments easier, also it would allow for the doctors to collect blood from the site instead of having to go to various veins along her arms to take blood samples.

"This portal, is it safe?" Sami asked after Dr. Lykens had asked them to consider the placement of it in Madison's body.

"Very safe, it is a procedure we do on many different cancer patients, it lets us use one site instead of having to face multiple tries on veins, with Madison being so young, it also can prevent her veins collapsing during treatment and having to start over with the procedure again. Chemotherapy roughly takes two to two and half hours to administer after the initial dosage which can take up to almost six hours as we explain what is going to happen and get her set up. We have a special room set up in the pediatric ward for the children having to take treatments, that way they have their own place to go instead of having to go into the same room as the adults who are taking chemotherapy. We try to have the room looking bright and colorful for the kids while they are taking their treatments." Dr. Lykens explained his voice kind knowing the couple in front of him had a lot of tough decisions to make in the upcoming weeks concerning treatment choices for their child.

"Dr. McAllister also mentioned a possibility of Madison needing a bone marrow transplant," EJ brought up to Dr. Lykens, wanting to see what his opinion on the subject would be.

"He said we would need to have my son tested," Sami offered up, "along with us trying to see if we are a match."

"If you don't find a match, you do know what is another possibility is don't you?" Dr. Lykens asked them both.

"What?" they asked in unison, both not wanting to think that Will or one of them would not be a match for Madison.

"You can try to have another child together," Dr. Lykens answered. "We would use the blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. This blood contains high concentrations of stem cells, which are cells from which all blood cells develop."

"We're not married Dr. Lykens," Sami spoke out before she could stop herself.

"Samantha is married to someone else," EJ explained, sensing Sami's anxiety over the mention of them actually conceiving another child together.

"I apologize for assuming that you were a couple, but you could consider the process of In Vitro fertilization which is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the woman's womb. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova which are your eggs from your ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a fluid medium. The fertilized egg or zygote is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy." Dr. Lykens took off his glasses and laid them on his desk, "Hopefully we won't have to go that route, but you need to be made aware of all of your options."

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us," EJ stood up and extended his hand out to Dr. Lykens which he in turn took to shake his hand.

"No problem, I'll be around shortly to meet Madison," Dr. Lykens said as he showed them to the door.

"We'll see you then," EJ said as he held the door open for Sami to walk out with him following close behind her. She wasn't saying anything, she was lost in thought as she held onto the brochures and lists that Dr. Lykens had handed them when they had went into this office.

EJ didn't say a word to her, he was as conflicted as she was, and he had never even considered that they may have to try to have another child together. Well at least they could hope that someone was a match before they had to even think of the options Dr. Lykens had given them.

_**The Gift **_

_**Part XVII**_

"Hey there baby," Sami said leaning down to give Madison a kiss on the cheek, after hugging and telling Marlena and John goodbye. They had come by earlier which allowed Sami and EJ to go to the meeting with Dr. Lykens. Marlena making sure Sami promised to call her if she needed anything along with John reiterating the fact to both Sami and EJ. Having John be so cordial to EJ was something he still couldn't get used to after all the animosity they had with one another in earlier years, but John had come to see while he still didn't trust any DiMera, EJ in fact did love his daughter Madison, and for that he had learned to let the hard feelings between them subside.

"Hey Mommy," Madison smiled and winked at her daddy before crossing her heart again.

"What's that all about?" Sami looked back and forth between Madison and EJ wondering what kind of silent communication they had going on with one another.

"Nothing Mommy," Madison grinned as her father gave her a look not to give their secret away.

"We need to talk to you," Sami urged EJ to sit down too, tugging on his hand without even thinking of it for him to get next to her.

"Is this more doctor talk?" Madison rolled her eyes looking as bored as she possibly could.

"Kind of," EJ said hating to release Sami's hand, but knowing it would make her uncomfortable if he kept holding it.

"What now?" Madison asked, hoping it wasn't going to be any more nurses coming in to take more blood from her. She liked Aunt Belle, but she didn't even want her to come in here if she was going to poke on her.

"We've talked to another doctor that is going to help Dr. McAllister get you better," Sami began as Madison made a frown upon her face.

"Another doctor? Isn't one enough?" Madison asked, not wanting to meet another doctor, they were scary for the most part, poking and prodding on her when all she wanted to do was go home.

"Remember when we talked about the new adventures we were going to have to take in our latest fairy tale?" EJ was drawing Madison back into their special fairy tale world.

"Yes Daddy, I remember," Madison shook her head in understanding as she recalled how they would all have to fight off the forces that were trying to take her magical powers away from her.

"Well, we have another helper in our battle, he is a great wizard, one who is wise and has special armory to help us fight," EJ said sounding very mysterious as he wove another tale for Madison and Sami to follow.

"What kind of arm-o?"

"Armory?" EJ asked as Madison shook her head yes that was the word she was trying to pronounce. "This is only something the most special sprites are allowed to wear, something so powerful and secret that it is hidden in your body." 

"How Daddy?"

"Well, the great wizard, Dr. Lykens, we will call him Dr. Likey for short, is going to make an incision right here," EJ slid back Madison's pajama top an inch to a place below her right shoulder and gently traced a small line where they would place the portal under her skin. "Then he is going to give you the device that will help us ward off the evil forces."

"So not everyone gets something as cool as this, do they?" Madison's eyes lit up at EJ's explanation over what Dr. Lykens was going to place into her body.

"No, only the most special and magical sprite in the land," EJ emphasized touching her nose and then spreading his fingers in the air as if the magic fairy dust was coming down all around them, watching as Madison was warming up to the idea of the portal instead of being afraid of what was going to happen to her.

"That was very good Mr. Wells," Dr. Lykens stepped into the room after listening to EJ tell Madison her newest fairy tale. He walked over to Madison's bed and held out his hand for her to shake, "And this must be our very own sprite Madison?"

"How do you know me?" Madison asked her eyes all aglow from EJ's story.

"I'm Dr. Lykens."

"You're the great wizard Daddy told me about, Dr. Likey." Madison's smile grew as she shook his hand, thinking he must be one very cool wizard to visit her so quickly.

"That's me, Dr. Likey," Dr. Lykens began to chuckle, taking an instant liking to the little girl who would be one of his new patients. They began to talk eagerly as Madison told him of her friends and things she liked to do.

Sami sat in amazement; EJ could put Madison to ease with something as simple as a fairy tale, looking at both of them her heart swelled with more love than she thought possible. Why hadn't she seen beyond the façade that EJ had presented to her so very long ago? It was as if when she had found out he was a DiMera that she had turned her back and heart against him. Now seeing him here with their daughter, she felt the floodgates opening up once again; this was her knight in shining armor, her new best friend in town who had told her to fight against the hypocrisy of the people who had turned against her time and time again.

Why had she ever doubted in him? If she hadn't maybe things would have turned out differently for all of them.

**The Gift **

**Part XVIII**

A few days had passed, Belle and Phillip began organizing a huge donor drive to hopefully find a match for Madison since Will, Sami or EJ were not a match for her. Sami had seen how disappointed Will had been when Dr. Lykens informed him that he didn't have enough matching markers to help his little sister. When Sami had approached Will to ask him if he would consider being a donor, he hadn't hesitated in the least, immediately wanting his mother to set up the test.

Hearing the news that they would have to seek further to try and find a donor was a huge letdown for all of them. Madison had already undergone the procedure to have the portal placed into her body. It had been difficult to see their daughter be put to sleep again and now to see her bandaged up, but the reality set in when they saw the stitches right below her collarbone.

They needed to get Madison prepared for her first chemotherapy treatment. Both Sami and EJ were at a loss, not really knowing what to expect until it actually happened. Madison was scheduled for her first treatment to begin on the following Monday and both parents were dreading the day that was approaching faster then either one of them wanted it to occur.

Sami and EJ stayed round the clock with their daughter, getting very little sleep. EJ was thankful he had a competent staff to run Mythic while he was taking leave. It was strange not be going into the office to work, but he was afraid to leave Madison for any large amount of time, fearing something would happen to her while he was away.

He and Sami were worried and the stress of having their daughter in the hospital seemed to grow more and more each day. They had begun to form an almost uneasy alliance upon the news of Madison's health that was slowly slipping back into a surprising mode of friendship for them both.

Sami was grateful for the hospital suite EJ had obtained for Madison. The spacious room provided Madison with a modicum of security amidst all the unending tests and treatments that were quickly becoming a staple of her young life. Madison was able to get up from her bed and play when she felt like it, although lately she grew tired more easily.

Sami hoped today was going to be a good day for her little girl. Hope and Belle had arranged for Ciara and Claire to come visit Madison. The little girls looked around the hospital room, admiring all the toys EJ had set up for her around the room. They were going to have a tea party if Madison felt up to it.

Everything was set, and the girls starting giggling with one another. Madison had missed seeing her cousins terribly; they were her closest friends, having played with one another since they had all been brought into this world. Sami held back her tears of happiness seeing that Madison was once again reunited with her friends.

EJ was having a great time, serving the girls while they sat at the table, pouring them tea and telling them that it was a very special brand of tea, one that he had especially shipped over from England just for them. After they had eaten their treats and drank their tea, the girls all begged EJ to tell them a story after Madison had showed them the place where her portal had been placed proclaiming that she was getting prepared to do battle against the evil forces that were making her sick by trying to take away her magical sprite powers.

"Okay girls, gather round," EJ said as they all found a bean bag chairs to sit in, while EJ chose to sit upon the floor since he was dressed in his blue jeans and polo shirt. His business suits long forgotten since they had been at the hospital so much. The girls all leaned in close wanting to be sure not to miss a word of the story which EJ promised was going to be a new tale in Madison's ever growing saga.

Belle had left to go help Philip with the donor drive while Sami and Hope stayed on the other side of the room, quietly talking with each other until EJ began to weave another tale of mystical proportions to the very attentive group that surrounded him.

"Sprite Madison is preparing to wage war on the evil forces that are trying to steal her magical powers," EJ began in a very mysterious voice, "but she needs the help of her most beloved and special fairy friends. Do you girls have any idea of who these fairies might be?"

Claire and Ciara looked at one another trying to figure out who EJ meant while Madison's eyes lit up and a smile came upon her face. "Daddy, are the fairies Claire and Ciara?"

"You are such a smart sprite Madison," EJ nodded his head that Madison had indeed guessed that her new helpers in her fight would be her two best friends. "Claire, you are dubbed the fairy of light and love and Ciara you are dubbed as the fairy of song. Do you girls think you'll be able to help Madison during her difficult journey that she is now taking?"

Both girls nodded their heads in approval, both excited that they were now being included in Madison's stories that she always talked about with them.

"Excellent, you girls are the best of the best, friends who will fight alongside one another to help protect and defend each other in good and bad times. Do you always promise to love and support one another no matter what happens?"

"We do," all three answered in unison, their expressions growing serious as they reached out to join hands with one another, the bond between them forged.

"All right, I now need the special wand to pronounce your new titles." EJ got up and went to the bookshelf that he had brought in and reached to get the wand that was on the top of the bookshelf along with three tiny sparkling tiaras.

Carefully he placed the tiaras on their heads while he each proclaimed their own special title and powers that they now possessed since they had joined Madison in her adventures. The girls all danced and hugged one another they were so happy being together.

Ciara ran up to Hope, "Mommy look! I'm a fairy!" She danced around her mother happily.

"Oh you most certainly are!" Hope reached down to hug her daughter.

"Aunt Sami, where is my mommy?" Claire asked looking around the room for Belle and not finding her there. She wanted to tell her mommy that she was now a fairy too.

"Sweetie, she is helping Philip with something very important, but she will be back soon." Sami promised as she admired all the girls as they pranced around the room, preening with such confidence and joy.

"I'll go find Belle," EJ said coming over to where Sami and Hope stood. "I wanted to speak to both she and Phillip anyway to thank them for sponsoring the donor drive for Madison."

"Okay, she said they would be in the main lobby today until 4 pm." Sami told EJ until she saw him hesitate at the doorway, looking back at Madison. "Don't worry; I'll take good care of her while you are gone."

"I know Samantha, it's just that…"

Sami placed a hand upon his arm, "I know exactly what you are thinking. We'll plan to get something to eat when you get back."

"All right, I'll see you soon. Thank you Hope for allowing Ciara to come today to see Madison, I really think this has been her best day so far since she was admitted to the hospital."

Hope extended her hand to EJ, which he paused a minute before he took it into his own to shake, his uncertainty of having any of the Brady's approval of him was something of a shock. "Thank you EJ. You have made these girls day. I have no doubt that Ciara won't take off her tiara for a week or more."

"Well they are all so special. We certainly are blessed, aren't we?" EJ asked, then let go of Hope's hand.

"That we are EJ," Hope agreed, as she and Sami watched him leave the room. Hope turning back to Sami after he was out of earshot, "Sami, I would have never in a million years guessed that EJ would be so, so…"

"Incredible, caring, sensitive," Sami offered to Hope in trying to help her come up with what attributes she was trying to assign to EJ.

"Exactly, I mean I knew he was a good father to Madison, but I never would have believed that a," then she stopped herself short from completing her sentence realizing how catty she would sound if she finished her thought out loud.

"It's okay Hope, I had a hard time believing anyone with the last name of DiMera could actually care for anyone else either until I had Madison and from the first moment EJ saw her I knew without a doubt that he loved her. I only wish," Sami looked at Madison and shook her head, afraid to voice her wishes aloud.

"You only wish what?" Hope asked Sami looking at her closely.

"My days for wishes are long over," Sami refused to answer Hope, for to speak the wish of longing for things to be different was something she couldn't bring herself to admit to anyone, especially not to any members of her family, they certainly wouldn't understand at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Gift **

**Part XIX**

EJ was amazed when he saw the long line that had formed in the main lobby of the hospital. Belle and Phillip busy handing out forms for people to sign, giving them all various times to be tested. He was quite taken aback over the support people were giving to try to help Madison. Seeing it from this view was a humbling experience, he'd never guessed that people would actually care what was happening to his daughter, but now saw a side of humanity he'd never taken the time to observe before.

Slowly he made his way up to the table; Belle was the first to notice his presence and gave him a big smile as he continued his approach. She nudged Phillip and he looked up to see EJ standing there before them.

"Hey EJ, can you believe how many people showed up today?" Belle asked her enthusiasm for this project evident in her tone of voice.

EJ shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around the idea that people would go out of their way to help one another, even people who had no clue as to whom Madison could be. "I just wanted to come by to relay my gratitude to you both for undertaking this project."

"EJ, we both just want to do whatever we can to help Madison," Belle said earnestly with no underlying reason for wanting to help Madison at all.

"I really appreciate it," EJ replied, then added, "you have no idea how much this means to all of us."

"We're just glad to help," Phillip offered up as Belle bestowed a sweet smile in his direction.

"Speaking of which, Phillip, can you break away for a few moments?" EJ asked him wanting to have a private word with him apart from Belle.

"Well, we're kind of busy," Phillip replied.

"I see Chelsea and Nick coming right now. They are coming in to work the next shift for us," Belle said, shooing Phillip off in EJ's direction as Chelsea and Nick walked up to speak with her about what she specifically needed them to do.

Phillip walked off with EJ, unsure as to what EJ needed to speak to him about. When they were out of earshot from Belle, EJ began, "You know Phillip, I never quite took you to be an altruistic man."

"There are plenty of things that you don't know about me," Phillip said haughtily, his instincts instantly flaring up that EJ could see right through his ruse to get closer to Belle by helping her with this project.

"I'm sure, not one of them being using my daughter's illness to show Belle how much you care about others more than you do yourself," EJ eyed Phillip warily.

"That sounds more like something a DiMera would try to pull instead of a Kiriakis," Phillip stood his ground with EJ, not letting him see that he'd guessed his true mission in agreeing to help Belle.

"Please spare me your moral superiority Phillip; I know exactly what you are capable of."

"As I do for you also," Phillip sparred back with EJ, never once giving him any indication that he was trying anything to get in Belle's good graces.

"There you two are," Belle said rounding the corner to find EJ and Phillip talking after she had finished giving Chelsea and Nick their instructions.

"Thank you again Belle, your kindness knows no bounds," EJ took Belle's hand and placed a kiss upon it, causing her to blush over the unexpected gesture from him.

"We just want to see Madison get better," Belle said giving EJ a smile of encouragement.

"I'm beholden to you both," EJ said giving Phillip a knowing glance. "Oh Belle, Claire is wanting to see you. She and the girls had fun at their tea party and she wanted to be the first to show you her special prize."

"I'll walk back with you to Madison's room," Belle said looking at Phillip for a moment. "Would you like to come with me Phillip to check on Madison?"

"Sure, maybe the three of us, you, Claire and I can go get something to eat afterwards." Phillip suggested taking Belle by the hand and pulling her forward away from EJ, as he trailed behind the pair.

EJ rolled his eyes, he had to give it to Kiriakis, the man knew how to play Belle like a fine tuned fiddle.

Will hadn't seen his father in a few days, both of them missing each other in passing when they were at the house, so he decided to see if he could find him at the one place he was almost certain that he would be at, which was work.

It was growing dark, the day's sunlight was meager during the wintertime and Will had thought his father might be heading home soon. Trying to remember exactly which house his father was working on at the moment, he spotted his truck at one of the houses.

Getting out he frowned, there were no workers in the house, it was completely dark and he wouldn't have even thought his father might be there if he hadn't of noticed his dark blue Ford Ranger parked in the driveway. There was also another vehicle there, one he didn't readily recognize but seeing as he was off at college so much, he couldn't keep track of all the cars everyone drove in town anymore.

Stepping in the unfinished doorway of the house, Will was about to call out to his father when he heard the sound of a woman's giggling from a room close by. Nervously he edged up to the door which was barely ajar and listened to the voices coming from within the room.

"Oh Lucas, stop that!" came the voice that Will instantly recognized as Mimi Lockhart.

"No way little lady. I've got you right where I want you." Lucas said in a teasing tone, one Will hadn't heard him use in quite some time when he was speaking to his mother.

"Not yet, you don't" Mimi squealed with peals of laughter as it seemed like Lucas had found her.

Will felt sick at his stomach, surely his father wasn't messing around with Mimi. He had to be mistaken. He inched up closer trying to get a glimpse into the darkened room when he accidentally knocked over a paint can causing it to crash on the floor. He quickly turned to leave before being discovered by them when the door flew open and Lucas and Mimi ran out, her shirt completely unbuttoned plainly showing her bra and Lucas shirtless.

"Who's there?" Lucas questioned not seeing anyone out in the hallway.

Will didn't want his father to see him, but he stumbled on some boarding and fell. He struggled to get up to run out of here, but his father found him with Mimi close on his heels.

"Son, I didn't know you were coming out here," was the weak excuse Lucas tried to give him.

"That's a given," Will said after getting up without the help of his father's hand while Mimi turned her back to button her shirt back up.

"I don't know what to say," Lucas' voice cracked, hating the fact that his son had caught him with Mimi. He knew there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Will knew exactly what was going on between the two of them.

"I guess you better think of what you need to tell Mom." Will shook his head in disgust, wiping the tears from his eyes that had formed after finding them together.

"Will, please let me explain," Lucas called out to him, but Will never turned around to give him a chance to say anything else. Jamming his keys into the ignition with tears blurring his vision, he finally cranked his car, driving away from the unfinished house as fast as he could, he didn't want to believe it, but he'd saw it with his own two eyes. His father was cheating on his mother.

Life just sucked, his sister was sick in the hospital, his mom was doing the best she could to hold it all together and now his father was getting some on the side with another woman. Will took out his cell phone and punched in a number to call one of his best friends. He had told Arthur earlier that he was going to try to spend some time with his family, but now he realized his family was falling apart all around him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XX**_

"Belle, you have got to see this," Sami exclaimed as soon as she and Phillip walked into the door to Madison's room.

Belle looked around the room to see Claire, Madison and Ciara hugging one another and singing as loud as they possibly could. Their tiny voices sounding so sweet combined together.

"Thank you for allowing Claire to come visit with Madison today. I was telling Hope earlier that I think having Claire and Ciara here have made all the difference in to the world to her." Sami reached out to envelope her sister into a hug.

As soon as Claire realized Belle was in the room she ran over to her, "Mommy look! I've been crowned the fairy of love and light!" She twirled on her tiptoes, causing them all to clap.

"You have, haven't you?" Belle admired the tiara on Claire's head, as Phillip leaned down to her.

"That is such a great honor," Phillip chimed in causing Claire to instantly turn to him to grab him in a fierce hug.

"Daddy, you're here! Come see Madison," Claire tugged on Phillip's hand leading him over to where Madison and Ciara were still playing.

Sami and EJ at the same time glanced questioningly over at Belle while Phillip went to speak to the girls.

"I know, I know, Claire's father is Shawn, but she insists that she has two daddies," came the explanation from Belle without either one of them asking her about it.

"Well Phillip did raise her for a while and we all thought that he was her father at first," Sami tried to help Belle rationalize why Claire would call Phillip daddy, but realized she was only making it worse and bit her lower lip after she quit speaking.

"It's okay, I've done it to myself and Claire, not ever making a clear choice between Shawn and Phillip," Belle shrugged her shoulders after making her reply.

"Don't you think you need to finally make a decision concerning the two of them or are you going to have both them still trying to win your affections when we are old and gray?" Sami asked starting to feel a giggle trying to escape envisioning Phillip and Shawn both pitting one against the other in their old age.

Belle hit Sami on the arm playfully, "I will soon, maybe." As she eyed Phillip and Claire together, Phillip catching her wishful glance towards them caused him to straighten up and tell Madison goodbye. Claire hugged both Madison and Ciara and walked back with Phillip.

"Sure you will," Sami winked while she teased her younger sister.

Belle stuck her tongue out at Sami, and then hugged her once more. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Sami nodded as Belle, Phillip and Claire stood in the doorway.

"Love you," Belle called out to Sami as they turned to leave.

"Love you too," Sami said watching the three walk down the hallway together.

"Well that was interesting," EJ piped in after they had left the room.

"Things with my family are always interesting. Haven't you figured that out by now?"

"I'm slowly coming to see it," EJ replied as Hope reappeared from visiting one of the officers of Salem's Police Department who had been hospitalized earlier in the week.

"Thanks for letting me check on Officer Kelley," Hope said entering the room and gathering up Ciara's things from her visit with Madison this afternoon. Ciara hugged Madison and then she and Hope left them alone.

Madison walked over to Sami and EJ, her eyes drooping she was so tired. EJ effortlessly picked her up and carried her back to her bed. Touching her nose he asked, "So my little sprite, what do you want for dinner?"

"Nothing, I'm so tired," Madison did her best to stifle a yawn, but it came out anyway.

"Go to sleep then and we'll get you something later when you wake up," EJ leaned over and kissed Madison on the forehead after pulling the covers up around her.

Sami leaned over on the other side of her bed and kissed her goodnight too, then looked up to find EJ staring curiously over at her.

"What?" Sami asked, wondering what EJ was thinking about.

"It's nothing," EJ started to walk off to go to the window, but Sami caught him by the hand before he made it across the room.

"Tell me," Sami urged, seeing that EJ had wanted to say something to her before he thought better of it.

"It was nice for us both to be able to tuck Madison in together tonight," EJ tried to look away from her; afraid he was saying too much.

"It was nice," Sami agreed with a sad smile. "It's something we haven't had much practice with her together, have we?"

"No," EJ shook his head sadly, wanting to reveal so much more to Sami, but knowing she didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"I wanted to thank you," Sami said sensing EJ wasn't going to say anything else on the subject.

"For what?" EJ asked not knowing what Sami meant.

"For making Madison have such a wonderful day, you have such a way with her that I never even fully realized until…" but she couldn't finish her sentence as her eyes filled with tears. She closed her eyes for a minute hoping to banish the oncoming tears and was successful with the exception of one stray tear that tracked across her cheek.

EJ took his fingertip to her face, wiping her tear away, "You don't have to thank me for loving our daughter. I love her more than life itself."

"I know you do," Sami reached up on her tip toes to give EJ a quick hug along with a kiss on the cheek before she turned away from him. Reaching to get her pocketbook and bag of dirty clothes from a closet in the room, she retrieved both items she was looking for. She needed to get out of here for a while before she ended up making a fool of herself in front of EJ. "I think I'm going to go home to get a few things. I'll be back soon. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine," was all he said before turning to look out the hospital window, wanting to reach out to her, but afraid to do so at the same time. He looked up to the stars after she left the room wondering if he'd ever find the courage to tell Sami how he truly felt about her especially after all this time had passed, then he pondered the notion of if she'd even care.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXI**_

Sami entered her house hoping to see either Will or Lucas, but feeling dejected when it was apparent neither one of them were around. She went to go do a load of laundry and to retrieve some more of Madison's pj's along with picking out some other clothes for her to wear while she continued her stay at the hospital.

Usually Christmas was her favorite time of year, especially since Madison had been born; even Will had gotten back into the festivities as the holidays rolled around. Telling Madison of all the wonderful things Santa Claus would bring to her, but as she made her way into the living room where she usually put their Christmas tree, there was only a vacant spot.

Truth be told, Sami was dreading Christmas this year more than anything. All she wanted was for Madison to get well and she had not been prepared for what the past few weeks had held for her. She shook her head wearily; she hadn't even gone shopping and didn't feel the desire to do so. Maybe she'd speak with Belle and she could help her out. Sami didn't want Will to feel like she was neglecting him.

Speaking of neglect, she'd rarely even spoken to Lucas in days, only talking for brief moments in passing if he came to the hospital or called her cell phone. Everyday it seemed more of a struggle to keep things going smoothly between them. She knew Lucas hated her being around EJ, but that couldn't be helped. She could no more deny EJ to be around Madison for only certain allotted amounts of time, now they both stayed with her as much as possible, custody agreements flown out the window and completely disregarded.

Sami surveyed the living room once more, a feeling of deep sadness coming over her. She always prided herself on being strong, but with every piece of bad news they had been receiving over Madison's prognosis, she felt her strength fading. For once, she wanted to run and hide, to forget her problems, to lose herself in her lover's arms and then the reality of her wishes struck home, the man she wanted these things from was not her husband, instead it was EJ.

She didn't want to hurt Lucas, but knew deep within her heart if she kept up this charade of a marriage to him that she'd end up hurting him all the more. Regret was a bitter pill to swallow as she sat there in the dark, wishing for some way to release herself from the bonds of marriage to a man she no longer wanted to be with and the intense longing to be with the one man she knew she had hurt just as badly by not being willing to admit her true feelings to in the first place.

"You've really made a mess of things," Sami uttered to herself in the dark as she wrapped her arms around her legs and began to cry, not knowing whether the tears came from the constant worry she now lived with that Madison might not make it or the reality that her so called perfect marriage to Lucas was slowly crumbling away right before her very eyes.

Finally her tears were spent, but she was still no closer to the truth than before she had begun to shed her tears. The reality of the entire situation staring her straight in the face, life was too short to be living a lie, but how on earth was she going to be able to break the news to Lucas and Will? Then a nagging thought raised it's ugly head in her mind that even if she divorced Lucas would EJ even want her in his life beyond her being a mother to Madison?

She shook her head, dispelling the traitorous thoughts; it didn't matter whether or not EJ wanted to be with her. What was important was telling Lucas the truth and setting him free to find love with someone who could truly give him everything to him because she had not been able to do so being his wife. Lucas deserved better than what she had given him, which was only a small portion of her heart, sadly the rest had belonged to EJ from the first time she'd laid eyes upon him.

Finally acknowledging the fact was bittersweet, but she had to do this, even if it broke Will's heart, she was going to do what was past time needing to be done. She was going to ask Lucas for a divorce and prayed that she wouldn't lose her son in the process of dissolving a marriage that never should have been united in the first place.

"There you are," Lucas caught up to Will drinking with some of his buddies down by the river. As soon as they saw Lucas approach, they backed away from Will and gave him some privacy with his dad.

"Go away Dad," Will warned as he continued drinking his beer, with no regard to his father's struggle with alcohol.

"No, we need to talk," Lucas insisted as he tried to take the bottle of beer away from Will only to be rewarded with a sneer of contempt from his son.

"You know the funny thing is I always blamed Mom for screwing things up between the pair of you, when I really should have seen that you're the real screw up in this twisted relationship," Will took another long draw from the bottle of beer emptying it, then throwing it as hard as he could in the direction of a tree that was nearby his car.

"Will, there are things you don't understand," Lucas began only to be cut off quickly by his son.

"Please spare me the a man has needs speech," Will spat back disgustedly. "I'm hardly a boy and I know all about sex and have for a very long time. So don't try to patronize me with some crap about how mom isn't enough for you."

Lucas was taken aback hearing the venom in his son's voice and hating the fact with all his heart that his affair with Mimi being found out this way by him.

"Will, it isn't that way," Lucas tried again to tell Will exactly what was on his heart.

"Dad, please I caught you and Mimi ready to get it on and you're telling me it isn't what I think it is? Give me a little more credit than this!"

"I love your mom; I'm just not in love with her anymore."

"Guess what? When she finds out what you've been doing behind her back there will be hell to pay!"

"Honestly I think she'll be relieved," Lucas said with a resignation in his voice, causing Will to take a second glance in his father's direction.

"I can't believe you are saying that, Mom will be crushed to find out that you have been cheating on her!"

"Will, you're a smart kid, way smarter than I could ever hope to be and surely you can see your mom and I haven't been happy in a long time," Lucas was opening up to Will man to man and it was easier than he thought this conversation would be between them.

"Dad, do you love Mimi?"

"Yeah, I do, not that I don't love your mom, Sami has been such a big part of my life that I'm scared to let go of her. I don't want to hurt you or her, but I want to be with Mimi and she wants to be with me. I was going to tell Sami all about my feelings for Mimi when this stuff came up with Madison and now I don't know what to do. I feel like a huge jerk because despite it all, I still want to be with Mimi."

Will wiped the tears from his eyes, angry that he was even crying, hearing his father speak the words out loud was even harsher to accept than Will seeing his father with another woman besides his mom.

"Dad, you owe it to mom to be honest with her," Will finally spoke, his voice cracking as he was on the verge of tears again.

"I know I do son, I just have to find the right time to tell her," Lucas said his voice filled with sadness because he knew it was finally time to let Sami go and he really didn't know how he'd be able to do it.


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXII**_

Although it was late, there was still no sign of Will or Lucas, so Sami jotted them down a quick note telling them that she was thinking about them both and hated that she had missed them then she left it on the kitchen table and headed back off to the hospital. While she was driving on the road, she called Belle on her cell phone.

"Belle, this is Sami, is there anyway you can meet me at the hospital?"

"Is something wrong?" Belle asked, fear rising in her voice.

"No, I just need a huge favor from you and I want to get back to the hospital so that EJ can go home for a few hours to get anything he needs," Sami explained as she was trying to find a decent parking space for her SUV, but not having very much luck at it. Finally giving up and parking further away from the building than she would have liked, then guessed she needed the extra exercise of walking.

She walked in the night air, enjoying the fresh air and hating that she'd have to go into the hospital. She wanted her baby girl to be able to go home, but Dr. Lykens suggested that since she was undergoing a clinical trial with her treatments that Madison would be better off at the hospital where she could be monitored more closely.

Reaching down Sami picked up some snow and rounded it up in her gloved hands, shaping the snow into a snowball. Madison loved playing outside in the snow and it was one of the things she complained about missing so far during her stay at the hospital. Sami carefully concealed it in her hands as she rode the elevator to the 5th floor, getting off and walking down the corridor to her daughter's room.

She was disappointed to see Madison sleeping; she had wanted to surprise her with the impromptu gift of a snowball. EJ was close by in one of the lounge chairs apparently dozing too as she entered the room. He stirred slightly upon her entrance, righting himself upward from the slumped down position he had fallen into after watching his daughter sleep so peacefully.

The lights were turned off in the room, only the glow of the moon provided any source of lighting inside. Sami held the snowball in her gloved hands, pondering what to do since it would be long melted by the time Madison awoke.

"Samantha, is that you?" EJ asked squinting his eyes in the darkness, knowing full well it was her, but wanting to hear her voice answer him.

"Maybe, maybe not," came the teasing tone from within her as an idea suddenly formed in her mind. She walked closer to EJ, careful to keep her hands behind her back so that he couldn't see what she had in her possession.

EJ shifted up in the chair and rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension that falling asleep in the chair had caused. He reached his arms behind him to stretch when suddenly Sami made her move, bringing the snowball from behind her back and depositing it inside his shirt before he realized exactly what type of mischief she was up to in the first place.

The shock of feeling the icy snowball brought an immediate reprisal from EJ as he grasped Sami's arm and pulled her into his lap before she could get away from him.

"You little vixen," EJ teased as he started to truly laugh for the first time in a while.

Sami squirmed trying to break free from his grasp, but he was stronger than her. Holding both her hands within one of his hands, he reached for the remnants of the snowball from inside his shirt and rubbed the icy substance against Sami causing her to shriek out in laughter.

"EJ stop! I was just playing," Sami said in spurts between laughing as she kept trying to wiggle out of his embrace.

"I'm just playing too," EJ continued to hold what was left of the snowball against her, not allowing her a chance to escape until she stopped moving and looked into his eyes, her breathing becoming irregular due to their close proximity to one another. Then he did something he'd been wanting to do to her for years. He kissed her.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXIII**_

She kissed him back with no reservation, reveling in the feel of his lips upon hers. Totally forgetting where she was for a brief space in time until she heard Belle call out for her.

"Sami, I'm here," was enough to immediately bring Sami back to reality, making her push away from EJ with a suddenness that resulted in her falling in the floor.

Pushing her hair away from her face, Sami felt EJ extend a hand to her to help her up as Belle walked into the darkened room with a very confused expression upon her face. Hastily Sami stood up and brushed EJ's hand away from her as quickly as she could afraid that Belle had seen them kissing one another.

"Is everything okay in here?" Belle questioned looking back and forth between Sami and EJ, both doing their best to compose themselves upon Belle's untimely interruption.

"Just fine, things couldn't be better," Sami answered a bit too shakily, which caused Belle to narrow her eyes in suspicion.

"We were just umm…" EJ was trying to come up with something to explain their appearance to Belle when Sami finished his sentence for him.

"To tell you the truth, I was playing a trick on EJ and he retaliated by kissing me," Sami thought what the hell; she'd tell the truth for a change because Belle probably wouldn't believe it anyway.

"Your sister is definitely a trickster," EJ added wryly, quickly regaining his composure as he pulled the front of his shirt away from his body, the wetness from the snowball Sami had smashed into his shirt earlier had made the material cling to his chest. He looked at both sisters not quite knowing what else to say, so he decided to make his exit while he could to escape any possible forthcoming questions from Belle that she might decide to ask them. "On that note, I'll take my leave. I'll be back in a while Samantha. Good evening Belle."

"Goodbye EJ," Belle barely had time to reply before EJ was out the door. She cut her eyes back to Sami who was twirling a strand of her hair around one of her fingers. "Did EJ really kiss you Sami?"

"No, I was just joking," Sami chuckled and rolled her eyes, relieved that Belle hadn't believed her when she was telling the truth. Sometimes being one of the biggest liars in Salem did have its advantages.

"Okay then," Belle looked at Sami strangely, sometimes her sister made no sense at all. "So what did you need me here for tonight?"

Sami was glad that Belle asked she had a huge favor to ask of her and she was glad EJ had left because she didn't want to spoil the surprise she had in store for him if Belle could help her out with her request.

Driving home, EJ didn't know what possessed him with such recklessness to kiss Samantha, but he'd wanted her for so long that when the opportunity presented itself, he selfishly took it. He'd never claimed to be a saint, so what was the problem?

After pulling into the driveway and parking his car, he hit the steering wheel in anger, he knew exactly what the problem was, he wanted to do it again, again, and again for the rest of his life. He wanted Samantha as badly as he had when he'd first came to Salem.

She puzzled him, kissing him back instead of slapping him away. Maybe he'd just caught her off guard and who knew what could of happened if Belle hadn't of walked into the room when she did. What was he thinking? Thank goodness Madison had not witnessed their kiss. How would the possibly explain to her something he couldn't even quite define himself.

It was worse even having a sample of Samantha than nothing at all because now all he wanted to do was take her in his arms, kiss her like there was no tomorrow and tell her all his heart's desires for her. He shook his head dejectedly, Samantha was married, she didn't want him, they'd just had a crazy moment and that was all, nothing more.

He'd learned long ago not to expect anything barely above contempt from Samantha and he needed to stop thinking that they could have some kind of future together as a family with Madison because Samantha had made her choice long ago and it hadn't included him in the scenario.

Belle had left a little while ago and Sami had expected EJ back by now, but maybe he needed more time at home than she had earlier. She looked at her watch, noticing the hour and wondering why she even wanted him back in the same room with her.

How was she going to be able to look at him after kissing him? If Belle hadn't of come into the room, what would she have done? Then she looked over to her sleeping daughter and thought it was the best that Belle had walked in the room when she did because how would she had been able to explain kissing EJ to her daughter?

Madison stirred in her sleep, tossing and turning which caused her bed covers to come off her tiny form. Sami got up from her chair to pull the covers back on Madison when she mumbled something in her sleep.

"What is it baby?" Sami asked quietly, trying to decipher what Madison was trying to say.

"Mommy, is that you?"

"Yes, I'm right here sweetheart," Sami touched her cheek and brushed her hair back from her face.

Madison opened her eyes as she began to focus on her mother. "Mommy, guess what?"

"What?"

"I had the craziest dream," Madison began with a sleepy expression on her face.

"You did? What did you dream?" Sami leaned down closer to her daughter to hear what she had to say.

"You and Daddy were laughing and then Daddy kissed you and you kissed him back," Madison said dreamily with a sweet smile in the dark. "That was a dream, wasn't it?"

"Yes baby," Sami hated to lie to Madison, but she didn't know what else to do.

"Well I hope I have more dreams like that," Madison said softly. "It was nice."

"I'm sure it was sweetie," Sami leaned down to kiss Madison on the forehead.

"Mommy do you ever have dreams like that? It really looked like you were having fun in my dream." Madison gave her a wink and closed her eyes to go back to sleep leaving Sami to stand beside her bed more than a bit flabbergasted that her daughter knew and saw more than she gave her credit for sometimes.

Sami sat back down in the recliner hoping she would fall asleep before EJ came back; she needed some more time before she saw him again to get a hold of her feelings. She didn't have a clue as to what she would say to EJ when she saw him again.


	8. Chapter 8

The Gift

Part XXIV

Sami didn't need to worry about she would say to EJ because when she awoke the next morning, it was as if he were a mere acquaintance of hers, not someone she had shared a kiss with the night before. While she had expected there to be some degree of awkwardness between them, she never expected him to act like nothing had transpired between them at all. Then she mentally chastised herself, she was giving him mixed signals all over the place, so how should she expect him to react?

EJ wanted nothing more than to talk to Samantha and tell her that he still cared for her, but he knew it was a hopeless situation. He didn't want her pity, he wanted her love and he knew that was an emotion that she couldn't give him. So he'd do the best thing he could do for them both and leave her alone, trying to go back to the cordial relationship they'd had with one another since Madison was born or at least that is what he would strive to do.

He had to do something to keep his sanity, today was the day of Madison's first chemotherapy treatment and he just couldn't deal with these conflicting emotions Samantha was churning up within him along with the fear he felt for his daughter. So he'd just concentrate on helping Madison get well.

The first chemo treatment was hard for them all. Madison did her best to be brave, but it was apparent how scared she was despite all the positive encouragement she had received from her parents and the rest of the hospital staff. The doctors explained it would take longer the first time just to get everything set up and the ensuing hours seemed to drag on forever.

EJ had to say he was proud of Samantha; she didn't shed a tear during the entire process and stayed close by Madison during the entire afternoon, refusing to leave her side even for a moment. He felt sick to his stomach from the time the treatment began until it was finally over. He only wished Madison didn't have to undergo such treatments to cure her of this dreaded disease and this wasn't even a sure fire cure to stop the disease, but was one the doctors thought would help her in the long run.

Later on during the week, Dr. Lykens summoned both EJ and Sami into his office, breaking to them the news that so far there had not been a sufficient match for a bone marrow transplant for Madison out of the vast number of applicants who had given a sample to see if they were a match.

They sat there together listening to Dr. Lykens go over things patiently, explaining things that could possibly happen to Madison as the disease progressed.

"I just wanted to ask you both if you had given any further thought about conceiving another child to help Madison?" Dr. Lykens had to give them all their options and he needed for them to fully understand the ramifications of using the stem cells from a siblings and how it could benefit Madison.

EJ and Samantha were silent, both lost in their own thoughts. They never thought it would have to go this way, but now Dr. Lykens wanted them to face the very distinct possibility that this route could be the best way for them to go.

"Mrs. Roberts, I know you have expressed concerns that you aren't married to Mr. Wells, but I would be remiss if I didn't encourage you both to set some time aside to discuss this option more fully," Dr. Lykens tone was kind, he had grown so fond of their daughter and wanted her parents to be fully aware of everything that could affect Madison during the course of her treatments. He had seen them both trying to digest the news of the possible side effects from the chemo treatments. Madison had already been very nauseated since her first treatment, refusing food almost completely without the encouragement of her parents trying to get her to eat something, anything to keep her strength up.

"I think you both need to sit down together somewhere away from here and try to make some decisions about these options," Dr. Lykens suggested to them when they seemed immobilized over his latest statement.

"You're right Dr. Lykens, come on Samantha we need to go talk," EJ stood up and held out his hand to her, the first time he had come close to touching her in almost a week. Sami looked hesitant at first, and then took his proffered hand and they left Dr. Lykens office to go find a place to talk.

Walking down the hallway, neither spoke, until EJ broke the silence, "Let's take my car."

"Oh you mean you're actually going to speak to me now?" Sami turned accusing eyes toward him, finally venting her frustration over his lack of emotion toward her over the past week.

"Come on," EJ tugged at her hand, not realizing that he hadn't let go of it since they had left Dr. Lykens office, refusing to get into an argument with her here in the hospital.

"Whatever," Sami grabbed her hand away from his and started walking faster, needing to get out of the hospital even if it meant having this conversation with EJ that she was in no way prepared to have yet.

They got into his Mercedes, Sami scowling as EJ closed the door he had opened for her to get into the car. He got in on the driver's side closing the door, sealing them up together in the automobile. They hadn't ridden together anywhere in a car in so long that they both had to try to remember exactly when the last time had been.

EJ drove expertly, handling the car with ease as he sped up, going to a spot where he knew they would have privacy. They didn't need anyone interfering with the type of conversation they needed to have with one another. It was going to be difficult enough for the two of them without having anyone else's two cents on the matter they needed to weigh in on.

When he parked at a deserted spot by the lake, Sami sat there, her arms folded tightly above her chest and she refused to meet his eyes.

"Samantha, come on, look at me," EJ urged gently, trying to get her to look his way, but she wouldn't budge.

"Why should I? You've treated me like I've had the plague this past week," Sami said her emotions running high, she was so upset with him over his treatment of her.

"I don't know what you expect of me," EJ tried to explain, but failing miserably at his attempt.

"I thought we were becoming friends again," was her only answer as an unwanted tear fell down upon her cheek, which she viciously swiped away before he could reach out to touch her.

"I don't know if friends is all I can be with you," EJ replied, surprised at his own honesty, "especially if we decide to have another child together. Do you realize the enormity of what Dr. Lykens is suggesting for us to do?"

Finally turning to face him, "Of course I do EJ, but I can't do this if you are going to treat me like a stranger. This is hard enough as it is…"

"I know because of Lucas, he already hates me as it is, I can only imagine what kind of hell he will put you through for even considering this option," EJ interrupted Sami before she could finish her train of thought. "I know you love him and he is your husband, not me, yet here I am trying to come between you two again. I'm so sorry Samantha; there are so many things I wish I could have done differently in the past."

"EJ, things happened for a reason, I wouldn't trade having Madison for anything in the world, would you?"

"No, but I don't know about us having another child together, do you?"

Sami was silent, refusing to answer his question to her. She had almost told EJ all of her problems with Lucas, but maybe this way was better to let him think that her hesitation was because of what she would have to tell Lucas about trying to have another child with EJ. She knew she was taking the coward's way out, but she did owe it to Lucas to tell him everything, all the things that were on her heart, it was finally time to tell him the truth about everything once and for all.

"I need to go talk with Lucas," was all she said, when she could of said so much more, but the fear of EJ's rejection was too great, so she kept quiet. She'd know more of what to say to EJ after she had spoken with her husband, of that much she was sure.

"Okay," EJ started the car up again to take them back to the hospital, the silence between them deafening, both lost in their own thoughts about the future for all of them, if they decided to have another baby together all their lives would be changed forever.

The Gift

Part XXV

When they returned to the hospital, Sami left EJ at the parking deck, calling Lucas on her cell phone. After several tries she finally got a hold of him to ask him to meet her at their house.

The house was empty once again Sami noted as she opened the door and walked directly into the living room waiting for Lucas to come home. She wondered where Will was, it was almost as if he had been avoiding her for the past several days, then she shrugged it off thinking he was just catching up with family and friends that he didn't get to visit with often while he was away at school. She had tried to ask Will what was wrong during his latest visit to see Madison at the hospital, but he brushed her question off with questions of his own about his baby sister and before Sami knew it Will was off again before she'd ever had any answers from him.

Waiting for Lucas to come home, Sami turned on a lamp, the light banishing the darkness of the room despite doing little to cheer up her darkened spirits. This conversation with Lucas was long overdue, necessary in fact, but still as she surveyed the various pictures she had in the room showcasing the various stages of their life together she was overcome with sadness.

She was still looking at the pictures, her mind going back to when times had been happier within their family that she failed to hear Lucas enter the room until he spoke to her.

"Hey there Sami," was all he said as he came up behind her while she was looking at the pictures, tears in her eyes as she realized she was about to broach a subject with her husband that she was sure would change how they felt about each other.

"Hey," she turned around to face him, trying not to cry, but she couldn't help it. Looking at Lucas, thinking about their past and what she wanted for the future was tearing her apart.

"Come here and sit down," Lucas urged Sami over to the couch, which she gladly took a seat, fearing her legs would give out on her if she stood while trying to explain what was in her heart to Lucas.

"Oh Lucas," was all she got out before she started to cry, she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath trying to settle her nerves before continuing.

"Is it something about Madison?" Lucas asked as a nagging voice in the back of his mind hoped this wasn't about his affair with Mimi. Will hadn't spoken to him since that night and to be quite honest Lucas didn't know if he had said anything to his mother or not about his indiscretion.

"Yes and no," Sami answered quizzically, then hung her head down afraid to look Lucas in the eye, then steeling herself to say the words that had been forming in her mind for such a very long time, she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"What is it?" Lucas reached out to put his hand on her cheek, which only caused Sami to cry again. "Come on Sami; please tell me you've got me worried."

"Lucas, you've been so many things to me over the years, my friend, my enemy, my lover, my husband…"

"I know," Lucas felt like something was wrong, but couldn't quite pinpoint where Sami was going with this conversation. "We've been through a lot together."

"You know I want you to be happy, don't you?" Sami asked her voice breaking.

"I want you to be happy too," Lucas confirmed as he took her by the hands and held them within his own.

"You know when you told me the other day that I needed to be honest about my feelings?"

"Yes, I remember," Lucas replied as he continued to hold her hands and could feel her shaking while he held onto her.

"I'm ready to be honest now," Sami said so softly that he could barely hear her speak.

"Okay Sami, just tell me what is on your heart. That is all you have to do," Lucas encouraged her, seeing what a hard time she was having as she tried to find the words she needed to say.

"I don't want you to hate me," Sami said, the tears spilling down her face as she looked into his eyes.

"You know I'm not going to hate you, whatever you say to me," Lucas stated as a feeling of calmness came over him, the anger that Sami usually riled up in him in the past long forgotten.

"I don't know, we used to fight pretty bad," Sami commented as her mind traveled back in time reliving some of their less stellar moments with one another.

"I think our fighting days are over, along with some other ones too," Lucas said saddened at the realization that Sami wasn't going to be able to make him feel the fury that she once had been able to during their lifetime.

"You know what I'm going to say don't you?" Sami asked feeling a calmness come over her soul despite the heartbreak that was running concurrent along with it.

"I think so, and don't worry I'm not going to blow up at you for saying it," Lucas tried his best to reassure her, knowing from their past history Sami would have a hard time believing what he's just said to her.

"Okay, here it goes," Sami took a deep breath and began to speak. "I've been trying so hard to make this work between us Lucas, but you were right, I'm thinking of someone else a lot of times when my heart if it was truly yours I wouldn't be yearning to be somewhere else, with someone else. You've tried to get me to admit it so many times, but you know how stubborn I can be."

"It's okay, your stubbornness was one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place," Lucas reached out to run a hand through her hair, knowing that this would be the last time he had the privilege to do so without making her feel uncomfortable.

"I'm ready to admit that I'm in love with someone else," She hung her head down again, not wanting to hurt Lucas, but feeling relieved at the same time.

Lucas lifted her chin, "I know you are Sami, I've known for a long time."

"Lucas I did love you, I still do, it's just not…"

"It's not the same kind of love you want to have with your spouse," Lucas understood completely, he knew exactly where she was coming from and he needed to be honest with her too, but he'd leave the telling of his relationship with Mimi for another time Sami needed to get this off her chest without him adding to the already emotional state she was in right now. "Hey, who would of ever thought we could have this kind of conversation without tearing the house down, screaming and trying to rip each other apart?"

"I guess we've both grown up some," Sami admitted.

"We've grown up and apart," Lucas agreed although it was tough to admit that fact to her.

Sami shook her head in agreement and before she could say another word, he took her in his arms and hugged her and they cried together as the both realized it was time to dissolve their marriage and go onto a new phase in their lives without each other.

Finally when the tears subsided, Sami sat up away from Lucas and looked around the room, this wouldn't be their home anymore.

As if he could sense her thoughts, Lucas said, "I'll call Uncle Mickey tomorrow to have the papers drawn up. I won't contest a divorce."

"Thank you Lucas," Sami hugged him again before she got up to leave him sitting there on the couch.

"You're welcome Sami," he whispered after watching her retreating form leave the house, knowing that letting her go without a fight was hard to do, but it was time for them both to let go of the past and concentrate on the future.


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXVI**_

It was very late when Sami arrived back at the hospital, after leaving Lucas. Sami drove around Salem aimlessly for hours, trying to make sense of everything that had transpired earlier. From Dr. Lykens suggestion that she and EJ seriously consider having another child to the almost rational conversation she had with Lucas about getting a divorce, her mind felt like a whirlwind had struck.

Sitting in her SUV in the darkened parking lot, she removed her engagement and wedding ring set that Lucas had given her years before. There had been a time when she thought she would wear these tokens of his affection for her forever, but now as the moonlight spilled into the vehicle casting a glow upon the jewelry instead of feeling sadness that things were going to be over with Lucas, all she felt was relief.

She put the rings into the glove compartment; she would save them for Will. She didn't want to upset Will, but after their past few conversations, she thought that her son could see the truth that his parent's marriage was over. She dreaded telling him the news, but knew she would have to do it sometime tomorrow. Will needed to hear it from her; she only hoped he wouldn't turn against her for making the decision to leave his father.

She didn't know what she should tell EJ, would he even care that she and Lucas were going to get divorced? EJ used to be easier for her to read or so she thought, but now it felt like some days they were making headway to becoming friends again and others the walls they each had built up against one another seemed so high that neither would be able to scale them.

The past few weeks had taken a tremendous toll upon her mentally as well as physically. Her clothes were all getting baggy, since she either couldn't eat or refused food when it was offered to her. She was in a constant state of worry over Madison. How she longed for even a few hours of sound sleep, most days she was lucky if she managed to even close her eyes for a short nap.

All she wanted was a safe haven to come to, for her to have someone with whom she could completely bare her soul, to lay her burdens down even for a short while, but right now that wasn't possible. Then she opened the door to Madison's room to find both she and EJ asleep and prayed that one day, her daughter would be well. Sami knew in that moment that she was ready to do anything to save her life and only hoped that EJ would also agree to do what she was willing to try, and that was for them to have another child.

Now she wondered as she watched them both sleeping how EJ would react to knowing that Sami wanted to bring another life into this world and for him to be the father. It was asking a lot from both of them, but now she had peace with her decision, she only hoped that EJ would feel the same.

It would be so nice if she could crawl into his lap, lay her head down upon his shoulder and tell him how much she loved him. She shook her head, EJ wouldn't believe her, she'd done so much to prove to him that she didn't care for him that now when she wanted to be with him that it would take a miracle for him to see her true feelings.

As she looked over at her sleeping daughter, Sami was afraid she was asking for one too many miracles to come true. Her thoughts were broken when she heard Madison call out in her sleep; her daughter must be having a bad dream. Sami made her way to her bed, whispering softly to her, telling her what a sweet girl she was as Madison opened her eyes and reached for her mother.

"Hey there sweetie, are you okay?" Sami asked, trying to help Madison not feel so disoriented in the hospital room.

"Mommy, I want to go home," Madison cried, her cries also causing EJ to awaken, he quickly came to her side also, although he had yet to say anything.

"It's okay, you just had a bad dream, that's all," Sami smoothed her hair back from her forehead, trying not to cry herself when a great deal Madison's hair came out so easily within her hand. Madison had not noticed it yet, but Sami realized soon her daughter's loss of hair was going to be another side effect from the chemo treatments.

"No, I'm going to be sick," Madison whimpered as she started gagging. EJ quickly reached for the bedpan, Sami holding her head over it as Madison began to throw up. Madison tried to catch her breath in between bouts of retching. Sami and EJ stayed with her until she finally fell back against her pillow, her forehead drenched in sweat while her tiny form shook.

EJ took the bedpan away into the bathroom wanting to be sick himself after watching his daughter go through what she had tonight. He rinsed out the contents and cleansed his hands. Reaching for a washcloth to wet it so he could bring it out to wash Madison's face, wringing out the water from the cloth, he walked over to her bed, and began to gently wipe her face.

"Thank you Daddy," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, her sweet words piercing his heart as he tried his best to keep it together in front of both Madison and Sami.

"Try to sleep sweetheart," EJ urged, his voice on the verge of cracking as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Okay, Daddy, I'll try. Mommy, please lay down with me," came her simple request, her voice small and weak.

"Of course I will," Sami whispered as she lay down beside her daughter, she looked over at EJ, seeing his obvious upset over Madison being ill, she reached over the bed across Madison to lightly touch his hand, trying to comfort him too.

"I'll get the nurse to bring Madison something for her nausea," EJ moved away from the touch of her hand, afraid that he was going to start crying in front of them both and he needed to be strong for them.

"Thank you," Sami said, sensing his need to exit the room. She watched him go, her heart aching for him as much as Madison and once again prayed that God would heal their daughter. She didn't know how they would ever manage without her.


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXVII**_

After having the nurse come in to medicate Madison, EJ couldn't sleep, he was wound so tightly that all his nerves seemed to be on edge. Thankfully though Madison had fallen back to sleep and Sami appeared to be sleeping too for a change. He watched both of them, the two people who meant more to him than anything else in this entire world and he wanted to weep.

Sleep never came to him and as the early shafts of the morning dawn filtered into Madison's hospital room, it only brought to light the fact that for one of the few times in his life EJ was helpless to do anything. He had stood beside her bed noticing how much hair his baby girl had lost overnight. He reached to grab a handful of the fallen strands that had scattered upon her bed, unbeknownst to either of them in the room and felt such rage and despair at the same time that it literally choked him.

He held the dark tresses within his palm, shocked over how drastic a change it made in his sweet angel's appearance and his hands shook. Tears formed, but he had yet to shed them. He failed to notice Belle walk into the room and when she approached him, he was startled by her appearance.

Belle saw what EJ held in his hands and her heart immediately went out to him. She wanted to offer him some words of comfort, but the words froze within her when she saw his face. She quickly regained her composure, reaching out to him, but he backed away.

"EJ, I'm so sor…" but she was cut off by him before she could finish her sentiment.

"Please let Samantha know that I needed to go out for a bit," EJ said quietly and turned on his heel leaving Belle to stand alone in the room. As soon as he was in the hallway he sprinted for the exiting doors. He would not let them see him fall apart, but he needed to get out of this place before he became a blubbering mess.

Belle knew better than to follow him, he didn't need her comfort, but as she spied her sister Sami asleep in the bed beside Madison, she knew that EJ needed Sami. Belle whispered as she shook Sami as gently as she could, trying to prevent Madison from waking up in the process. "Sami, wake up."

Sami squinted her eyes as she began to focus on Belle standing above her, asking in a sleep filled voice, "Belle, what is going on?"

"Sami, I came in here this morning to check on Madison before I started my shift and when I saw EJ, oh Sami, it broke my heart to see him looking so lost. You need to go check on him."

Sami got up from the bed, raking her fingers through her tousled hair, looked back at Madison and seeing more of her hair loss knew that it had affected EJ. If she hadn't of been exhausted last night she would have stayed up and talked with him, but she'd been so tired that she had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She pulled at her wrinkled clothes and shrugged, she'd get a shower later. "Do you know where he was going?"

"No, he just said to tell you that he needed to go out, but Sami he doesn't need to be alone right now," Belle hoped when Sami found EJ that for once they wouldn't hurt one another. She had been witness to their stubbornness to reach out to the other many times in the past, but this time she hoped her sister would swallow her pride and admit the feelings Belle knew she had in her heart for EJ. She knew all too well what happened when you tried to deny your heart. Right now her life was living proof of that very truth.

Sami looked to Madison again and before she could say a word, Belle offered to stay saying that she had brought with her some really cool hats for Madison to pick out anyway and that they would play dress up until Sami could return. Sami hugged her sister, who told her that the other nurses would help out too for her not to worry, to just go find EJ. Belle assured her that her job as assistant head nurse came with some perks as to what she had to do during her shifts and for Sami not to worry about Madison, she would be in safe hands with her.

Sami left the hospital trying to rack her brain as to the places EJ might go, but quite frankly she was at a loss, she had spent so much time trying to erase EJ from her life that she had lost touch with him other than the times they saw each other for EJ's visitation with Madison on his weekends and holidays. EJ had made no effort to intrude in her life other than sharing responsibility for raising Madison. Sure, they had both attended her ballet recitals, pre school parties and such, but they had always made sure to maintain a cool and polite distance from one another.

Since Madison's illness though they had not spent a day apart, yet there were still so many things neither one would discuss with one another. Now as Sami desperately tried to figure out where EJ could possibly be, she thought how much they would need to overcome to try to be parents again.

Well she was used to challenges and she would manage this one too, Sami surmised as she drove around Salem. She pushed aside the obstacles she knew she would have to face concerning EJ in the future and returned her efforts to find him.

She knew EJ wasn't at Mythic, he at least had been telling her of the well trained staff he now had in place since Kate was no longer part of the company and that he had informed them all until further notice he was on leave until Madison's health had stabilized. She drove by his home, but it was deserted, the well maintained home was beautiful from the outside, Sami never venturing in with the exception of when Madison had tugged her by the hand to see her beautiful bedroom. Sami had been impressed, Madison's room was a little girl's dream, murals painted over all the walls with now what Sami realized where another extension of EJ and Madison's dream world of fairy tales that he had created for their daughter.

No wonder Madison wanted to come home, she missed her rooms, for she had two wonderful places to call home. Now Sami felt forlorn, for now she didn't know if she and Madison would return to the home she had shared with Lucas and Will. She needed to not worry, she knew Lucas would not deprive them of their home, but she really didn't know if she wanted to go back there or not. So much was up in the air right now that it was hard to concentrate.

She drove by a few other places, not seeing a sign of EJ when she thought that she would try St. Luke's, while she doubted EJ would be there, she needed to go say a prayer for guidance to help her with Madison and EJ. She wanted to do what was best for them all and she needed to seek a pathway to choose.

Opening the doors, Sami entered into the sanctuary, at once feeling a peace come over her. She had missed being here lately and silently chastised herself for not making time to come here more often, and then chuckled thinking God understood why she hadn't had much free time lately. While some people would have thought her thoughts irreverent, Sami had come to a closer walk with God in recent years and now more than ever she relied on His guidance in her life.

She walked slowly, taking her time in making her way to light a candle when she saw him, sitting forlornly in a pew, with his head bowed down. She sent a silent prayer up thanking God for leading her to him when she least realized it and walked over to EJ.

"Hey," she sat down beside him as she placed her hand upon his arm to let him know of her presence.

When he raised his head and turned his red rimmed eyes to meet hers, her heart broke; she wanted to comfort him and started to move closer to him when he scooted away from her, breaking the brief contact she had tried to form with him when she sat down on the pew.

"I don't want you to see me like this," came the broken words from the man she wanted to help more than anything, but she could see their torrid past was now going to be a larger hurdle than she even imagined.

"EJ, I want to help you," Sami said truthfully, but she could see the doubt in his eyes. He didn't believe her sincere efforts by her coming here.

"You know I recall a time we were in this very church when I saw you praying and I mocked you and the god you believed in. Don't you remember that Samantha?" His tone was hard as he took her back in time with him.

Oh she didn't want to remember this, not the dark and bad times, the times she had tried to push out of her mind like they never existed, but EJ would not allow her to forget.

"_I don't know what you're talking about. I have told you a million times."_

"_Samantha, give it up. I just heard you kneeling there, praying to God that I am not the father of your child, so it's pretty obvious that you think I could be."_

"_You're not. I know you're not." _

"_Why? Because He's going to answer your prayers, hmm? Is He going grant your wish that you and Lucas can live happily ever after and you can pretend that you and I were never together?"_

" _Together? We weren't together, E.J. you forced me_!"

"_You can call it what you like. You and I both know the truth. And all the prayers in the world are not going stop what's meant to be."_

"_Lucas and I are what's meant to be."_

"_See, I disagree. You are having a DiMera baby -- my son -- my son, who I will bring up to be just like his grandfather."_

"_Over my dead body!"_

"_Do you honestly believe that you can keep me away from my child?"_

"_Stop calling him that. And I will do whatever it takes to protect my child."_

"_I've got news for you, darling. So will I!"_

"_Bastard! I'm not going let you do it. I'm not going to let you hurt me. I won't let you hurt my son! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"_

" _Calm down!" EJ grabbed her by the wrists preventing her from striking him._

"_You bastard! You sick monster! You have no business being inside this church!"_

"_Nor do you, sweetheart. I find it laughable that I come in here and I find you kneeling, praying for redemption for a deal that you made with the devil."_

"_You are the devil, and I gave you what you wanted, and yet you torture me. You force me to lie to the man that I love. You force me to betray my father for you."_

"_I made you do nothing. The truth would have set you free from your so-called torture. But you're as unfamiliar with that concept as I -- one of the many things that we have in common. It's interesting when you think about it. One has to wonder what the product of our unholy alliance is going to look like, eh?"_

"_I will never let you near my child ever!"_

"_But you see, sweetheart, what you don't understand is that I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. And I'm going take my child whether you like it or not. Got that?"_

"_E.J., why are you doing this? You aren't exactly the fatherly type, right? You've never had any interest in children, so why my baby? And don't give me this bull about carrying on the DiMera line because I'm not buying it."_

"_Trust me, Samantha. I have my reasons for wanting to be with this child."_

"_Trust you? Are you kidding me? This is my baby we're talking about, and I have every right to know why you want my baby."_

"_He's going to be raised with his father and only with his father as a DiMera. Do we have that straight?"_

"_You're insane!. You're sick -- your whole family is crazy. You think I'm going to let you have my baby? You think I'm just going hand him over to you?" _

"_You will if you're smart, Samantha. And I think you're very, very smart."_

"_What will you do if I don't? Are you going to kill me? _

"_Kill you? There's no need to kill anybody."_

"_You'll have to because I will fight you. With every last breath in my body, I will fight you. I will never let you take my child."_

Sami looked at EJ and her heart sunk. They had been so cruel to each other, taunting with thinly veiled threats that day. She fought to keep a control of her emotions, she would not allow them to fall back into the dangerous games they had played with one another in the past.

"So I see you do remember," EJ cut her a glare that hurt more than Sami wished he had the power to do so at the moment.

"EJ, we're different people now," Sami started to explain, only to have EJ roll his eyes at her.

"Oh really? You see, I think we are both still the same self centered selfish creatures we were then, only now we try to play nice with one another for Madison's sake so she won't see how truly awful we both really are." EJ held up the strands of Madison's hair he still had in his possession to examine them in the sunlight that was streaming through the stain glass windows of the church.

"EJ, please don't do this," Sami shook her head as she started towards him.

"You know I'm still the same man underneath it all and the only thing that has kept that man at bay is having Madison. I didn't want her to grow up in fear of me. She brought love into my heart when no one else even bothered to care. She is the only good and pure thing I have in my life and if I lose her there won't be any reason not to become that man again." EJ dropped her hair watching it fall to the floor as he dropped to his knees.

Sami rushed to him, "You have me EJ, you have me. Please you can't give up."

EJ shook his head sadly, "No, you were never mine. I wanted to love you, to give you the world, but you didn't want it. You threw my love away and left me all by myself. But I have to give you some credit, you didn't keep me away from Madison after you found out that she was mine."

"I couldn't keep her away from her daddy." Sami took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "EJ, it's okay, I know you're worried. I've been out of my mind with worry over Madison, but remember your promise to me. We'd go through this together and no matter what happens, I'm in this with you. Please don't push me away. I can help you."

"No one can help me," EJ wrenched himself from her touch, but he couldn't get away from her grasp upon him. Sami pulled herself next to him, wrapping her arms around him even as they both started to cry.

"I can and God can," Sami said confidently, even through her tears.

"If God is so good, then why has He let the most innocent and precious thing that I know on this earth go through something like this? You want me to have faith in a being that preserves people like us and strikes the innocent down in the blink of an eye?"

"EJ we have to pray and believe that He'll bring us through this and we'll be stronger than ever before because of it," Sami touched his face so gently, wiping at EJ's tears just as he had done for her many times before.

"I don't even know what to pray because I'm so angry Samantha! Why can't God take me? I'd take Madison's place in a heartbeat. I don't want her to hurt. It's killing me to see my child like this."

"I know, I know," Sami rocked with EJ on the floor of the church. "Please don't give up EJ. Don't give up on Madison. Our girl is a fighter. I believe she will be stronger than either one of us one day."

"If she gets to grow up," EJ remarked, still not convinced of what Sami was trying to convey to him.

"I don't know how I know this, but I have a feeling Madison will grow up and we'll see her go through all the stages in life, having friends over, going to parties, dating, graduating high school and college, getting married, making us grandparents."

"I don't know about making us grandparents," EJ started to show a ghost of a smile upon his face. "We're still kind of young for that don't you think?"

"I know it is hard to believe, but one day you'll see," Sami started to smile through her tears. "Who knows what our other kids will be like? We may have more grandkids running around the house than we'll know what to do with."

"Samantha, have you gone daft? We don't have any other children," EJ looked at her curiously, trying to figure out where she was going with this conversation.

"Well I guess we'll have to work on changing that fact Mr. Wells," Sami said as she rose to stand and pulled him up with her which was no small feat considering his size compared to her small frame. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her so she could give him a brief kiss. She clung to him, giving him the courage to accept that whatever was going to happen that they would face it together.

When they broke apart from one another, Sami held out her hand to him and he accepted it.

"Are you ready to go see Madison?" Sami asked as they walked down the aisle together.

"If you're with me, I guess I am," EJ answered honestly, amazed at the woman that stood by his side, maybe just maybe they could get things right this time around.

"Let's go then, because I have to tell you that I think you're stuck with me," Sami said half joking, but not so much that EJ could decipher the true meaning of her statement. He guessed he needed a few more years being around her to figure Samantha out, then shook his head, he'd need a lifetime with her and for the first time ever he thought he may get the chance to find out.

_Section in italics taken from Days of Our Lives, US Airdate March 7, 2007._


	11. Chapter 11

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXVIII**_

"I'll see you back at the hospital?" Sami asked as they exited the church, she was still holding EJ's hand as he walked her to her SUV, not wanting to let go of it, enjoying the feeling of security his touch seemed to provide for her after their encounter in the sanctuary.

He raised her hand to place a kiss upon it when suddenly he noticed that she wasn't wearing her wedding rings. EJ cast a puzzled look at her, "Samantha, what is going on? You aren't wearing your wedding rings."

Sami pulled her hand away from his grasp, torn between wanting to tell EJ that she had asked Lucas for a divorce, but also not ready to launch into a discussion of what her decision may mean for both of them in the future.

"Well I was going to talk to you about that sometime," Sami's brow wrinkled in indecision, she still wasn't sure that she was ready to talk about this to EJ. They had made strides in rebuilding their relationship with one another over the past few weeks, but everything was still so new and tentative that she was hesitant that the least little thing could drive a wedge between them once more.

"Oh really, because you seem a bit caught off guard by my mentioning the fact," EJ stated as he leaned back against the door of her SUV and folded his arms across his chest, his movement not allowing Sami a method of easy escape away from him.

"You know what? Everything I do isn't your concern," Sami huffed, wishing she could get past him, but he stayed exactly where he was and there was no way she could storm off from him without her actions raising more questions from EJ than she already had stirred up by her not wearing her rings upon her left hand.

"All I asked you was a simple question. You don't have to get so defensive about it," EJ started to smirk, he loved catching Sami off guard because he never knew what she would say or do and he enjoyed watching her reactions even when she decided to turn her fury upon him.

"I'm not," Sami shrugged her shoulders and narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out a way to make him move away from her vehicle door. He looked so smug that she wanted to scream. How could she go from wanting to erase his hurt from him to wringing his neck within a few moments time? The man was infuriating to say the least.

"Okay then, how about we talk about things over dinner?" EJ casually suggested as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to go out to dinner with one another, but in truth he was holding his breath to see what her answer would be to his question.

"Like on a date?" Sami asked before she thought about it, instantly wishing she could take back the words she had uttered when EJ broke out into a laugh.

"Look we both need to have something with a bit more sustenance to it than what we have been eating lately. I mean lukewarm coffee and snacks from the vending machine are wearing pretty thin upon us both, don't you think?"

"You do look like you have lost some weight," Sami commented as she took in EJ's frame that was still lounged against the door.

EJ straightened up and reached out to stroke her cheek, "You more than me, and that is why I'm asking you out to dinner."

"So that is the only reason you want to take me to dinner?" Sami took a step back away from his touch, wanting to see a bit of discomfort from EJ since he seemed to be trying to do the same thing to her.

"Maybe, maybe not," EJ gave her a quick peck on the cheek, opened her car door for her and began to walk away from her, leaving her to stand there in bewilderment in the wake of his actions.

"EJ, you better tell me the truth!" Sami refused to get into her car as EJ continued walking across the parking lot.

He turned around, a smile upon his face that Sami hadn't seen in a very long time and said, "All will be revealed in time, my darling, all in good time."

"EJ you are so aggravating!" Sami said as she stomped her foot to the ground.

"Why don't you take the day to relax, do something for yourself and I'll stay with Madison and tonight I'll see if Tony and Anna can come stay with her while we go out to dinner, then afterwards we can go back to the hospital to see Madison?"

"Are you sure EJ?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Just come back to the hospital around seven and we'll go from there."

"Well, if anything comes up with Madison, you'll call me?"

"Always, now just go take some much needed time for yourself and I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, I do need to talk to Will anyway today so this would be a perfect opportunity to do that among other things," Sami said as she rummaged through her purse to find her car keys. She finally found them and started to get into her car as she heard EJ shout to her from across the parking lot of the church.

"Good, it's a date then," EJ gave her a devious wink as he got into his car, smiling as he drove back to the hospital because the look upon Sami's face when he told her it was a date was priceless.


	12. Chapter 12

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXIX**_

EJ was greeted with smiles as he returned to Madison's room. Her disposition not affected in the least by her loss of hair, in fact she and Belle seemed to be having a grand time with one another.

"Daddy, look at all my new hats!" Madison exclaimed, her smile lighting up the room as soon as she saw her father.

Belle and Madison were sitting at the round children's table, a mirror on one side, the other littered with hats, costume jewelry and lots of lip gloss. Madison pursed her lips as she put on her favorite flavor of grape lip gloss and beckoned her father over to her side.

EJ crouched down so that he could receive a sticky kiss upon his cheek from Madison and then she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, hugging him close to her, "I love you Daddy!"

"I love you too angel," EJ kissed her cheek, feeling a lump form in his throat again; he wasn't going to let his daughter see him cry. For the first time in a long time, he said a prayer to God thanking Him for his daughter's sweet spirit and unconditional love that she had always shown toward him.

He let her go as she turned her attention back to the table to retrieve another hat, she took off the one she was wearing and plopped another hat upon her head. She reached for another hat, this one a floppy hat that looked like you would go to a summer garden party in and placed it upon her father's head, laughing at his appearance.

"Daddy looks cute, doesn't he Aunt Belle?" Madison's mischievous voice was teetering on the verge of laughter.

"He most certainly does," Belle replied as she tried to stifle her laughter, she had never imagined EJ would be so playful with his daughter, this image of him shattered the reserved persona he usually maintained around everyone who came into contact with him. "Now if you don't mind Miss Madison, I need to go to work for a while."

"Thank you Aunt Belle for playing with me this morning," Madison said as she waved to her aunt.

"Yes, thank you Belle," EJ chimed in and then added, "for everything."

"No problem, I'll see you both later," Belle replied as she left the room, glad that she was able to have Madison laughing and smiling on what could have been a terrible morning for her.

"Daddy, you can take your hat off," Madison said giggling as he pulled her into his lap.

"Thank you for your permission, my little sprite," EJ laughed as he took his hat off and placed it back upon the table. He kissed Madison on top of her head causing her hat to go askew.

Madison felt her hat sliding off her head and turned to look at her dad. "I guess you can tell my hair fell out."

"Sweetheart you are beautiful whether you have hair or not," EJ removed the hat from her head, and kissed the top of her head again, this time without the hat being in place.

"You really think so Daddy?"

"I know so," EJ touched her nose. "You are the most beautiful girl in the entire world."

"Daddy, you're just saying that because I'm your little girl," Madison gave him a look that suggested she didn't really believe what he was saying to her.

"Yes, you are my little girl and I'm so proud to be your daddy." EJ pulled her into another hug, wishing all it took was for him to kiss her and make everything right within her world, but he knew now that wasn't possible.

"I'm proud to be your daughter too," Madison hugged him, thinking she was the luckiest girl in the world to have such a wonderful daddy.

"Well good morning Madison," Dr. Lykens voice boomed as he entered the room finding father and daughter wrapped up in their own conversation.

"Dr, Likey," Madison jumped up from EJ's embrace to go see her new favorite doctor.

"Good morning to you too EJ," Dr. Lykens extended his hand after EJ got up from the floor.

"Likewise," EJ shook Dr. Lykens hand.

"Dr. Likey, my hair fell out," Madison said as she pointed to her head.

"Remember when we talked about how some of the medicine you had to take might do that," Dr. Lykens put down his clipboard and gently picked Madison up to place her back upon the edge of her bed.

"Yeah, I remember," Madison replied with a sigh.

"Looks like you have all kind of neat hats to wear," Dr. Lykens strode over to the table to pick up a hat, this one a crocheted one that was rainbow colored and brought it back over to inspect it while he was talking to Madison.

"Aunt Belle brought me all kinds of cool stuff this morning," Madison stated starting to fill Dr. Lykens in on all the goodies Belle had given to her this morning after she had awoke.

Dr. Lykens and EJ listened to every word Madison told them as she went on and on about all the wonderful things her aunt had bestowed upon her, when Madison finished going over all the items, she motioned for her daddy to go back over to the table to pick up the pack of bandanas that were also upon the table.

"Daddy, these are our pirate bandanas," Madison announced with pride.

"So we're going to play pirates today?"

"Maybe this afternoon or tomorrow," Madison stifled a yawn, as she shifted her body around to lie down in her bed.

"How about you get to play pirates with your dad in your own home instead of being at the hospital?" Dr. Lykens asked as suddenly Madison sat up in bed, her tiredness being overrode by her obvious excitement over the prospect of going home.

"Dr. Lykens, are you sure Madison will be okay at home?" EJ asked, not wanting to quell his daughter's happiness over the possibility of being able to go home, but not wanting her to give her false hope either.

"That was the main reason I was coming to see Madison this morning, was to check her vitals and to speak with you and Sami about her being able to go home."

"Oh Daddy, I can't wait to go home with you!" Madison squealed with delight.

"Sweetheart I have to check with your mum to see which place you can go," EJ said softly, realizing he and Sami had so much more to discuss than they had previously thought.

"Mommy can just come home with us," Madison declared with a triumphant smile and lay back down to close her eyes. She was quite sleepy even with all of the good news and presents that she had received this morning.

Dr. Lykens checked her temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure before she could take her nap and then he pulled EJ aside after Madison had settled in to go to sleep, "EJ, I apologize for jumping the gun so to speak, it was just that I knew how much Madison had been wanting to go home that I failed to remember that she does indeed have two separate homes to go to. Please forgive me, I have a hard time remembering you and Sami are not a couple."

"It's quite all right, sometimes I wished I could forget that we aren't a couple either," EJ sighed and then shook his head; he didn't need to spill out all of his problems to Dr. Lykens.

"Stop by my office in the morning so we can set up Madison's appointment schedule for her other chemo treatments and to give you a checklist for her when you take her home. I'll also give you a list of my top home health care nurses that specialize in Madison's specific treatments for ALL."

"Sure thing Dr. Lykens, Samantha and I will be there first thing in the morning," EJ said as Dr. Lykens picked up his clipboard and exited the room leaving EJ to ponder exactly where Madison would return home to and if he would be able to convince Samantha to let him take Madison home with him.

Then his mind wandered back to Madison' suggestion of having Sami come home with them and wondered if it was even possible that Samantha would even entertain the thought, much less agree to it. It had been like pulling teeth to get her to consent to go out to dinner with him, now he was going to ask her something that he had absolutely no idea on what she would say and how they would both be able to deal with a scenario of them actually living together under the same roof.

Yes, tonight would prove to be an interesting date indeed.


	13. Chapter 13

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXX**_

"Will, I'm so glad that you could meet me for lunch," Sami kissed her son's cheek when he entered the Brady Pub before they sat down in a booth.

Neither one of them needing menus, they ordered the daily special, both of them sure they would enjoy anything that Caroline Brady would prepare for them.

"I thought you'd be giving me a call," Will slouched down in the booth, his expression dark and foreboding.

"Why would you think that?" Sami asked instantly thinking Lucas had told Will that she had asked him for a divorce.

"Mom, you've barely had time to take a breather from the hospital since you've found out Madison has leukemia, then out of the blue you call me up and want to have lunch.

"Will I hope you don't think I'm neglecting you," Sami reached out her hand to grasp her son's.

"Mom, I completely understand, you need to be there with Madison," Will gave her a reassuring smile, one that erased the dark mood that had crossed his facial features only moments before. "I'm not jealous of the time you are spending with her. I only wish I had more time to see her before I go back to college after winter break, but since I'm working full time in Uncle Mickey's law firm to earn more spending money for when I get back to school, my free time has been severely limited."

"Honey, it's okay, Madison knows you are busy and you do come by to see her almost everyday if you possibly can," Sami smiled as she recalled how happy Madison was to see Will even if it were only for a few short minutes when he came to visit her in the hospital. "Also, I want you to know how proud I am of you for working at the law firm. Do you like it? Do you think this might end up being something you might pursue in the future?"

"Well it is interesting, but now that all this has come up with Madison, I'm leaning a bit more towards pre-med instead of law."

"Really Will? I thought you were dead set on becoming a lawyer," Sami said then she took a sip of her water.

Will was picking at his food, thinking at least talking about what his future career choices was better than the inevitable. He didn't want his mother to start talking about his father because he still felt sick to his stomach over what he had discovered days earlier about him and Mimi.

"I don't know," he shrugged his shoulders. "I kept thinking that I would like to be able to help kids like Madison because now that this has happened to her, I realize how terrible this disease is and I want to be able to do something more than I have been able to do with her. I feel so helpless Mom."

"Honey, you being Madison's big brother is all that she needs. Believe me there are days where I feel like I should be doing more, but we just have to stay strong and positive. Our love and support for her while she is going through this traumatic experience is the best medicine she could get. We just have to stay positive for her sake."

Will shook his head with understanding, "I realize that Mom, but I want to do more. Would you be upset if I changed to pre-med? I mean it will take longer for me to graduate college, but in the long run I think I would be happier if I chose a profession in the medical field."

"You don't worry about the money, your father and I will do whatever it takes for you to have the best possible education."

"Mom, I'm going to get student loans," Will assured her so that would be one less thing she would have to worry about. "My GPA is 4.0 and I am not going to let it drop even if I have to live in the library."

Sami shared a chuckle with Will as they thought about his study skills. "Well now you have to have some time for fun."

"Mom, I can balance both, but school has to come first."

"My serious child," Sami reached across the table to ruffle his hair, a gesture she was seldom allowed since he had grown up. "What am I going to do with you?" 

"I don't know Mom. Seriously I am so unlike you and dad sometimes that it is scary."

"That isn't a bad thing," Sami noted with a melancholy smile.

"Mom, don't get all sad on me."

"I need to get to the reason why I asked you to meet me here today," Sami knew it was time to get into this discussion with her son, but she didn't want to disappoint him, she had done it so much in his lifetime that it was hard to come up with the right words to tell him that she was choosing a different path for her life, one that wouldn't include his father.

"Mom I know what you're going to say."

"Have you already spoken with Lucas?"

"You mean he finally manned up and told you the truth?" Will's voice was harsh; Sami wasn't used to Will using this tone of voice when he spoke of his father.

"What are you talking about Will? I asked you here today to tell you that I asked your father for a divorce."

"I'm glad," Will pushed his plate away from him, glad to know that his mother wasn't going to put up with his father's crap. If he was going to cheat on her, then she deserved better.

"Glad? I thought you would be upset with me," Sami gave Will a confused look; she totally didn't understand his reaction. She had thought he would be angry at her, but it seemed like he was upset with his father instead.

"Upset with you? No way Mom, you don't have to put up with this BS from him."

"Will what are you talking about?"

"I'm the one who caught him in the act with Mimi. I guess he thought that he better tell you before I decided to do so."

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"Mom, you don't have to protect me. I am pissed at Dad for cheating on you. I think you telling him to hit the road is purely poetic justice."

"Will, is your father having an affair?"

"Mom, you just told me you were getting a divorce. I assumed that he actually came clean and told you the truth. I caught him and Mimi at one of the construction sites a few nights ago."

"I asked him for a divorce because I have feelings for someone else," Sami said as she tried to wrap her mind around what Will had just said to her. "I didn't ask him for a divorce because of him, of him…"

"Him cheating on you? Mom, I am so mad at him that I haven't spoken to him since that night. I don't care how many messages he leaves on my cell phone. I'm not forgiving him for doing this to you. To think I blamed so much of your and dad's problems on you while I was growing up when he is the one who needs to get a good dose of a reality check. I mean for god's sake, this kind of relationship is not what I want for me in the future."

"Will, I didn't know Lucas was cheating on me." Sami's voice trailed off as the realization of what her child was saying hit her.

"Oh Mom, I'm sorry. It was just when you said that you were going to get a divorce that I just assumed he had told you before I said anything to you about it."

"Listen, don't you worry about it. We were going to get divorced whether or not that I found out about this, it just is taking me by surprise. I mean I have been in agony over making this decision and now knowing this…"

"Mom, you do what you have to do, but please don't try to tell me not to be angry with him because right now even with you telling me that you asked him for a divorce without knowing just makes me even madder that he let you ask him for one when he didn't even offer up that he was having an affair with another woman behind your back."

"Will, relationships are complicated," Sami tried to diffuse his anger at his father at least to a smaller degree, but Will was not accepting any of her logic.

"Yes, they are, but you don't go sneaking around having sex with someone else when you are married to another. At least I won't make that same mistake."

"Never say never," Sami's eyes were sad and for the first time ever Will realized his mother was growing older and wiser in his eyes than he had ever gave her credit for before.

"Mom, you do what you have to do. Go find happiness before it is too late," Will got up and made his mother scoot over on her side of the booth.

"Even if it turns out to be a man most of my family despises?"

"You do what is right in your heart and tell everyone else that can't understand your decisions to go to hell." Will hugged his mother as she felt her tears start to flow. His words reminding her of someone so long ago trying to tell her the same advice, but she had been too scared to take it, until now.

"I love you Will," Sami said between her tears, a fierce pride within her heart for her son who saw beyond what many could see.

"I love you too Mom and no matter what you decide to do, I'll still love you." Will said with a surety that was a balm to his mother's heart which had taken quite a beating with the shock of Will's confession of his father's affair to Mimi to her.

"I want you to forgive you father. I may not have been physically unfaithful to him, but emotionally I've strayed a long time ago."

"Is this one of the reasons why you say relationships are so complicated?"

"Yes, one of many, but I know you have to get back to Mickey's office, so I guess that conversation will have to wait for another time."

"It will," he said as he looked at his watch noting the time. He started to reach for his wallet to pay for the bill when his mother stopped him.

"No, lunch is on me," Sami said as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"This time," Will agreed as he arose, "but next time I get to treat you."

"Okay, I'll let you do that," Sami picked up the bill to take it to the counter to pay her grandparents. She watched him walk out the door and reached for her wallet. When had her son grown up and become so caring? She felt old and broken, the news of Lucas having an affair affected her far more than she thought, but she'd deal with that later. At least her guilt over asking Lucas for a divorce was slowly dissipating, but her anger over finding out that he had cheated on her was another matter entirely.

Will took a deep breath after leaving his mother in the Pub. He hadn't realized that she didn't know about the affair, but at least he had told her the truth, which was something his father hadn't afforded her. He guessed he would break the news of his relationship with Arthur to his mother at another time. One big confession was enough for today, he wasn't sure his mother was up to hearing another.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXI**_

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Sami. After speaking with Will at lunch, she harbored mixed feelings over the matter concerning Lucas. Returning to the home they had shared with one another now made her almost feel like a stranger surveying the rooms as she walked into their bedroom to retrieve some of her clothes.

Where should she go? After learning of Lucas' affair with Mimi, she no longer wanted any part of living here even if it was only until the divorce was final. Lucas could have the house without her contesting the fact, this wasn't a haven for her anymore, only a reminder of so many wasted years that she could have spent better off somewhere else.

No, she chastised herself, she shouldn't even be thinking of how things could have been different if she had married EJ instead of Lucas. They had both chosen different paths and now if Madison had not been sick, she doubted that she would have ever had the courage to leave Lucas, but at least she had been the one to ask for a divorce even without the knowledge of Lucas' affair.

She didn't want to see Lucas, at least not yet, so she'd either go check into the Salem Inn or ask her grandparents about staying in a room above the Brady Pub. She was almost didn't want to ask her grandparents for anything because she knew how disappointed they would be in her decision to divorce Lucas, not to even mention how they would react knowing that she was entertaining thoughts about one certain member of the DiMera family.

While Shawn Sr. and Caroline adored Madison, they still couldn't stand the sight of EJ and chose to ignore him entirely. Once Sami had even mentioned to them that the child they loved so was part DiMera, they dismissed that sentiment entirely, saying she was more Brady than she would ever be part of that other family. Madison was still young enough not to notice the slights Sami's family usually cut to EJ with the exception of Belle, but Sami knew that soon enough her daughter would start to realize that her family didn't like EJ.

Sami only imagined what they would say if they knew she was going out to dinner with him. Granted, they had tolerated his presence at the hospital, they knew EJ loved his daughter, but even with them knowing how much he cared for Madison, most times he was given the cold shoulder.

Even she had been known on most occasions to try her best to ignore him too, but these past few weeks, there had been no denying the fact that she was still attracted to him, that she wanted him in her life, but would she be brave enough to tell him that or would she chose to let him believe that she was only considering having another child with him just for the sake of trying to save Madison.

While she had hinted at the possibility of them becoming a family at the church earlier, she wondered if EJ had even considered that she wanted more from him or that she was only trying to assuage his fears and anguish over Madison. The more she thought about things, the more she second guessed herself. What if EJ wanted no part of her in his life beyond being a surrogate for a child to help his beloved daughter Madison? Her head started to spin with all the different scenarios that might play out.

She decided to go get a manicure and a pedicure. She needed to chill out, not make herself even more stressed with all these crazy thoughts she was having concerning EJ. Going to have her nails done helped some, but her mind was still racing when she decided to get a room at the Salem Inn instead of facing her grandparents. She didn't need a lecture on marital values from them because they would want her to try to patch things up with Lucas and now Sami knew in her heart that she didn't want to waste another day being married to Lucas, she wanted out even if she didn't have a chance of being with EJ.

A few hours later after half way arranging the hotel suite to be a bit homier and also informing Will that she had decided to move into the Inn for the time being, Sami changed into a clingy dress, one that accentuated her curves. Arranging her hair into a suitable coiffure, one that showcased her curls to accentuate her face and to give it a bit of wild tousled look she turned over her head and ran her fingers through her tresses. Shaking her head as she straightened up to look at her reflection she smiled, her makeup was flawless, why one would even think she was looking forward to this date if she wasn't so mixed up over her feelings about EJ.

Looking at her reflection one thing was for sure, if EJ had harbored any doubts over what she wanted from him, she bet after he looked over her appearance tonight that she could keep him on his toes for a change guessing exactly what she had in mind for him. EJ Wells-DiMera was going to have a very interesting night whether he knew it or not.

_**The Gift **_

_**Part XXXII**_

"Thank you both so much for coming to stay with Madison," EJ shook Tony's hand in greeting while Anna gathered EJ in for a hug when Tony had stepped aside.

"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else, would we Tony?" Anna asked as she looked over to the sleeping Madison, taking in her frail features while trying not to cry.

Tony caressed Anna's shoulder and gave her a smile, silently encouraging her not to cry, they shared a look with one another and she nodded with a smile of her own. EJ only wished he had someone in his life like his brother had because their love for one another shined through whatever room they seemed to be in at the moment.

"I only wished we had been in town when you got the news about Madison. How are you holding up EJ?" Tony asked noting how tired EJ looked, the dark circles under his eyes were faint, but they were there none the less.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. I just pray that Madison will come out of all of this unscathed." EJ was starting to have second thoughts about leaving her tonight until he saw Samantha walk into the hospital room.

"Oh my, Samantha darling you are truly a vision," Tony remarked taking her hand to give her a kiss upon it as Anna walked over to give her a hug after she came into the room.

"Thank you," Sami replied, hoping that EJ would feel the same. The time off this afternoon from the hospital had done her some good, even if she had learned some very disconcerting things about Lucas from Will.

"Now you two go on and have a good time," Anna urged them both to go because she could see EJ's hesitation to leave Madison right before Sami had entered the room. "We promise if anything happens while you are away, we will call immediately."

"Thank you Anna," EJ leaned in to kiss her cheek and she gave him a warm smile. "And you too Tony," EJ added before he stopped to look at Sami. The woman took his breath away; she was so beautiful that he almost forgot to breathe.

EJ's pause as he took in her appearance was noticeable to everyone in the room and Sami felt a slight blush rise upon her cheeks. EJ leaned over to kiss her on the cheek also, "You look beautiful Samantha."

The admiration shining in his eyes when he stepped back away from her was worth all the extra time Sami had taken getting ready, "Thank you EJ."

"Well we'll be off then," EJ said extending his arm to Sami, which she tentatively accepted. She really felt like they were going on a date now and that they were venturing into new territory with one another.

"We will see you when you return," Tony and Anna stood in the doorway watching them walk down the hallway; they made such a striking couple that people noticed them as soon as they passed their way.

"It's almost as if we're getting to see our son go on his first date," Anna noted with a sigh as they watched them disappear.

"Anna," Tony warned, giving her a look that suggested she not say anything else.

"Tony, don't you think it is way past time that we told EJ the truth?"

"Anna, we have been over this countless times…"

"And once again I think you are wrong to keep this knowledge from EJ. We are his parents, not Stefano and that lame brained Susan and while I know we found this information out by mere chance, I truly believe that EJ needs to know that we are more to him than just brother and sister in law. Do you know how bad I want to claim that sweet child lying there in that bed as my grandchild? Madison may end up being my only one considering that Carrie and Austin haven't been as fortunate to have any children of their own."

"Do you really want to face the wrath of Stefano? I mean look what he has done to us in the past, ripped us apart, stole our child from us and claimed it as his own. I had no idea that our child had not died and neither had you until we stumbled upon the truth." Tony glanced over at Madison to make sure she was still asleep, that sweet innocent child did not need to be brought into this tangled web that Stefano had weaved several years ago.

"While I know you have kept my quiet with the hopes that Stefano would die, the reality is that the mean old bastard hasn't died and just keeps living. Why it is almost as if he has made a pact with the devil himself." Anna huffed, once again disagreeing with Tony over the matter of EJ.

It had been sheer torture these past few years not to let him know that he was their son, they were close, but Tony had always cautioned that Anna keep a slight distance from him to prevent his over zealous wife from spouting off the truth to their son. Tony had no doubt that if Stefano had any inkling that they knew of his treachery that there would be hell to pay.

Neither of them realizing that Madison wasn't asleep as they spoke with one another in their hushed tones, the knowledge they had unknowingly imparted to her while they spoke was one of enormous impact, so she kept her eyes tightly closed and hoped they would speak more about this secret they were keeping from her daddy.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXIII**_

"You look nice," Sami commented as EJ drove his eyes on the road for the most part, but occasionally straying over to her during the drive to the restaurant. "How did you have time to get ready? I thought you didn't have any extra outfits at the hospital."

"My personal assistant Sheri is a godsend," EJ noted as he turned into the restaurant's parking lot.

"Sheri? I don't think I know her," Sami picked at a nonexistent spot of lint upon EJ's suit after he had stopped the car.

"No, I don't think that you do," EJ gently brushed her hand away with a smirk. He liked how Sami was trying to finagle information from him, subtle and Sami rarely if ever mixed.

"So, is she nice?" Sami reached to open her car door, but EJ grasped her hand, preventing her from trying to open the door.

"Very nice," EJ smiled as he exited the car and went over to Sami's door to open it for her.

"Thank you," Sami said, once again the striking differences between EJ and Lucas were coming into her mind. Why she hadn't had the car door opened for her in ages, and she realized it was a very welcome change to be in the presence of a gentleman. One thing for certain, EJ had impeccable manners.

Sami looked at the restaurants sign, Biba's. It was a place she had never been to before and she was curious as to what type of place it would be before they walked inside.

"You've never been here before?" EJ asked, Sami was scoping out the place on their walk from the car

"No, it is good?"

"Very good," EJ answered, opening the door for her.

Before Sami had a chance to ask him anything else, EJ was greeted with a very boisterous welcome from what had to be the owner of the establishment, "EJ DiMera! It has been way too long since we have seen your smiling face around here!"

"Arturo! It is good to be here!" EJ smiled at the man, one he apparently knew very well.

"Chi è la bella signora con voi?" Arturo asked EJ with an upraised eyebrow.

"La madre di Madison." EJ replied, leaving Sami to wonder exactly what they were saying to one another.

"È molto bello."

"Grazie, penso che sia molto bello." EJ smiled in Sami's direction as Arturo once again spoke in English. "Enzo, our best table for Mr. Dimera and his lovely companion."

"Arturo, please make no special arrangements for us. We really need a private place to talk for a while." EJ wanted seclusion for their dinner, not to be put in a place of honor in the restaurant.

"Okay, if it is privacy that you require, say no more. Enzo, please show Mr. Dimera to a table near the back, one that is preferably away from the constant traffic that our restaurant sometimes has during the busy hours of operation."

"Yes sir," Enzo took EJ and Sami to a table, one far away from the hustle and bustle of the lively Italian restaurant.

EJ looked to Sami after he had pulled out her chair to sit, "Do you mind if I order for us?"

"Go ahead," Sami doubted she would even be able to eat a bite of her meal so it really didn't matter what they ordered. Her appetite had been lacking lately, her worry over Madison so great that she barely ate anything more than a few bites of anything and nothing had appealed to her senses in weeks.

EJ ordered their meal in Italian to Enzo so Sami really had no clue as to what would arrive at their table.

"You speak Italian nicely," Sami complimented EJ although she had no idea what he had spoken to Arturo or Enzo.

"Thank you, Father was insistent that I learn as many languages that I possibly could. It really has paid off although at the time I was very angry over the constant lessons I had to endure growing up."

"I am glad that I can speak Spanish," Sami offered up, "but the Italian sounds so romantic to the ear."

"Maybe I'll speak some to you sometime," EJ raised his wine glass to Sami's, their glasses touching briefly before they both took a sip of their wine.

"Maybe, maybe not," Sami shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care one way or another if EJ ever spoke Italian to her.

"One can never tell what the future may hold," EJ teased gently as Sami tried to give him the evil eye.

"Especially if one has such a great personal assistant," Sami tossed down the rest of her drink in one gulp.

"Oh come now Samantha, you can't be jealous of Sheri. Why you don't even know her."

"She seems to know you very well," Sami huffed, hating that her jealous streak was rearing its ugly head.

"She is one of my most valued employees. Honestly I couldn't do without her on my staff. She has helped keep things running smoothly while I've been out with Madison."

"I bet she does," Sami raised her eyebrow in mock disbelief.

"Samantha, Sheri is happily married with three children of her own," EJ winked at her, "Come on darling, you have to have a little faith in me."

"So you don't mess around with your personal assistant, should I give you a medal for good behavior?"

EJ laughed, it was always a treat to get Sami riled up and he hadn't even been trying yet.

"Are you asking if I've been celibate these past few years?"

"Have you?" Sami asked before she thought better of it.

"Hardly, but rest assured I've been discreet," EJ refilled Sami's glass, but not his own, he didn't need to drink anymore since he was driving and he also needed a clear head to deal with Samantha.

"No one special?" Sami asked her curiosity growing wondering what type of women had been in EJ's life since they had parted ways so very long ago.

"No one special enough for me to even consider introducing them to Madison if that is what you were worried about," EJ took a bite of his food that had been brought to the table while Sami mulled over the answer to her question to him.

"I wasn't worried," Sami picked at her food although the aroma emitting from her dish smelled delicious.

"I don't ask you about your and Lucas' sex life," EJ speared a shrimp with his fork before popping it into his mouth.

Sami almost choked on her sip of wine. She put her glass down on the table and was about to leave the table when EJ stopped her.

"I apologize Samantha, that was uncalled for," EJ put his fork down and reached over to touch her hand.

"It's okay," Sami nodded. "I guess I should tell you that I asked Lucas for a divorce."

"Really? So that is why you aren't wearing your wedding rings?"

"Well it has been coming for a long time; I guess I just wasn't ready to accept that I had failed at my marriage."

"Maybe you weren't meant to be with Lucas like you thought you were," EJ's fingers caressed her hand, causing unexpected shivers to run down Sami just from this basic gesture.

"Sometimes I guess we think we know what is right for us when we really don't have a clue," Sami scooted her hand back away from his touch. She didn't really want to disclose that Lucas had been cheating on her; the pain was still too much for her to digest at the moment, much less to be revealing it to EJ.

"I'm sorry you're hurt," EJ said softly, wishing he could make things better for Sami, but he knew it would take time. She and Lucas had been through a lot together and while he had wished for them to break up for years he still didn't want to see her hurt.

"This thing Dr. Lykens suggested for us to do wasn't the reason you are divorcing is it?"

"This thing meaning for us to try to have another child together?"

"Yes, when you put it like that, it does seem that Lucas wouldn't be receptive to the idea."

"He has no clue that we have even considered it to be an option. Lucas and I don't talk much anymore. If he knew, he would have been enraged, but now it really doesn't matter to me what he thinks because I'm going to do what is best for my child."

"Our child," EJ gently corrected her.

"Yes, our child," Sami agreed. "So I guess I'm wondering if you are willing to try to conceive another child with me to help Madison."

"Are we talking In Vitro fertilization or are we talking about going the other route?" EJ asked not really knowing what Sami's answer would be to him.

"I thought we might try the good old fashioned way," Sami said cautiously, trying to gauge what EJ's reaction would be to her words.

"Excuse me?" EJ almost wished he had poured himself another glass of wine; he really needed some since this conversation had veered off into a place he hadn't imagined it would go tonight.

"We try for at least a few months and then if nothing happens, we do In Vitro," Sami said as naturally as if she were talking about going to the grocery store to pick up more milk.

"Are you serious?"

"Look sometimes you have to take one for the team," Sami drained the rest of her glass and held it out for EJ to refill it.

EJ refilled her glass although he urged her to eat something because if she didn't Sami was well on the way to becoming tipsy and he had no doubt how hard it would be for him to handle her if she were drunk.

"Since you are speaking of teamwork, I have a huge favor to ask of you," EJ refused to refill her wine glass again and prompted her to drink water while she only took a few bites of her meal.

"What would that be?" Sami smiled, her eyes trying to focus on EJ while he talked to her.

"Dr. Lykens came in while you were out," EJ began causing Sami to instantly become more alert.

"Oh god, is something else wrong with Madison?" Sami almost felt the bile rising in her throat, surely there wasn't something else they didn't know about going on with their daughter.

"No, this is good news, Dr. Lykens said Madison could go home and we would bring her back for her chemo treatments, that we could get a home health care nurse to assist us while she is away from the hospital to make sure she is okay."

"EJ, I can't take her back to my house, I honestly don't even know if I ever want to go back there myself. I ended up booking a room at the Salem Inn this afternoon."

"Let me take her home with me," EJ urged, taking Sami's hand once more from across the table.

"EJ, I don't want to leave her," Sami wanted to cry; this dinner date had not turned out the way she had expected it to at all.

"I want you to come too," EJ's eyes searched hers for an answer, for some glimmer of hope to spark between them. He saw the confusion there, but he wasn't sure if there was anything else lurking there for him.

"EJ, I don't know," Sami's voice faltered.

"Look, you'll have your own bedroom, as much privacy as you want and we will need to be in close proximity if we are going to try to…"

"If I do this, I'm only doing it for Madison," Sami blurted out causing EJ to withdraw his hand from hers.

"Of course," EJ nodded with understanding, realizing his hopes for something more for Samantha were apparently one sided just like they had been for years.

"You're okay with that?" Sami asked thinking she had saw a flicker of disappointment cross EJ's features, but it was gone so quickly that she could have imagined it.

"More than okay, I'm only doing this for Madison's sake too," EJ chimed in, his demeanor becoming more resolute; he'd not have Sami thinking he still had feelings for her when it was apparent that she didn't harbor any for him. He guessed her grand gesture at the church earlier today had been to pull him out of the depths of his sorrow and for that he was grateful to her. He only wished she wanted to be with him because she cared for him, not just to save Madison, but he guessed it was too much to ask for, he knew DiMera's never got their hearts desires and this time was no exception.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXIV**_

Madison had no luck trying to hear anything else about her daddy from Anna and Tony. She was not the most patient person in the world and after a few minutes of hearing them speak softly of other things she finally opened her eyes to see them. They both gushed over her, telling her how much they had missed her on their latest trip abroad.

"I've missed you too," Madison said as she sat up in her bed, adjusting one of her new hats upon her head.

"I have a surprise for you," Anna announced, reaching to retrieve a shopping bag to hand to Madison.

"Aunt Anna, it is not Christmas yet." Madison was tempted to look into the bag because gifts from Tony and Anna were always something wonderful, but she knew that Christmas was only in a week.

"This isn't for Christmas, this is a just because gift," Anna said hoping that Madison would open up the present from them and not wait until Christmas.

"Because I am sick?"

"No sweetheart, Anna and I saw this at one of the shops in Paris and we both knew immediately that you would love it."

Madison couldn't resist the temptation especially when Uncle Tony said it that way, her curiosity was as great or greater than her mother's won out and she reached into the bag to see the most exquisite doll.

"Henri made this especially for you," Anna said watching the gleam in Madison's eye as she gingerly held her new doll.

"She looks just like me," Madison said, amazed over how much her doll favored her.

"Henri has worked on her for months perfecting her appearance from pictures that I had sent to him of you over the summer and of course I designed her outfit." Anna smiled proudly thinking that maybe this might be another angle she could use in her designing business.

"Or she did look like me," Madison's eyes welled up with a hint of tears as she pulled off her hat, showing them both her loss of hair.

"Sweetheart, we did not mean to upset you," Tony quickly rushed to her side.

"You know your hair will come back," Anna added softly, leaning over to kiss this child she loved so much that it made her heart break not to be able to claim her as her own granddaughter.

"That is what daddy and Dr. Likey say too," Madison wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, refusing to cry anymore. "I'm not going to be a crybaby."

"It's okay to cry," Anna sat down on the bed with Madison, uncaring if her outfit got wrinkled in the process. This child seemed to bring out motherly feelings and emotions in her that she had thought she had suppressed long ago.

"You've have a lot to deal with lately," Tony felt an ache in his heart also over all the things Madison had been subjected to in the past few weeks since she had been diagnosed with leukemia.

"I do have some good news," Madison went from sadness to a glint of mischievousness.

"What?" Tony and Anna both asked at the same time.

"Dr. Likey said I could go home tomorrow, so daddy is talking to mommy about her coming home with us! I think daddy was taking her to dinner to… what do you call it?" Madison was in deep thought of trying to find the correct phrase when she snapped her fingers and smiled, "Drop the bomb on her!"

Tony and Anna's laughter broke out simultaneously. Without a doubt this child was definitely a product of EJ and Samantha. She would be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

The ride back to the Salem Inn was quiet, neither one of them having much to say, both longing to say more, but afraid at the same time that something else would end up being misconstrued.

Sami felt terrible as soon as she had said she was only doing all this to save Madison. She knew it wasn't true, but she had spent the majority of her life denying her true self so why would this time be any different? Then when EJ had agreed that he too was only in this for Madison's sake, and then she really couldn't backtrack on her original statement. EJ had only confirmed her worst fear that he only saw her now as a means to help Madison, nothing more, nothing less.

"I'll just be a few minutes," Sami said after she had asked EJ to let her go by the Salem Inn to inform them that she would no longer need a room after tomorrow.

"I'll help you retrieve your things," EJ offered even if he did feel like his heart had been stomped on once again by Sami. The woman was a like a tornado that swiftly touched down and left chaos reigning everywhere that she had touched.

"You don't have to," Sami started to object when EJ held up his hand to stop her from saying any more.

"This will just save us time tomorrow. I'm sure Madison is going to be hard pressed to keep at the hospital any longer than necessary tomorrow. She talked of nothing else the entire afternoon."

"Are you sure you want me to move in? I mean even though we agreed to do this…"

"Are you having second thoughts?" EJ didn't know what he would do if Sami would not let him take Madison home with him tomorrow.

"I know it is the best thing for Madison," Sami said with a sigh, even though it would be torturous for her to live in the same house with EJ. She wanted him, but she was still so afraid of her feelings for him and now it appeared that she would mean nothing to him beyond being a partner to help Madison try to survive this disease that she had been afflicted with at such a young age.

"But for you? I don't want you to be uncomfortable Samantha. I promise I will do my very best to make you feel at home."

"EJ, it's not that, it's just…"

"Complicated?"

"Exactly, I don't know how I feel other than my life is spinning out of control."

"Let's just take things one step at a time and see where it goes." EJ reached out to brush back a strand of her hair that had fallen over her beautiful blue eyes, ones that their precious daughter also had acquired and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "It will be okay Samantha, remember we have to trust one another. Everything we have to do is worth it if it helps make Madison better."

Sami didn't know what to say for fear that she'd tell EJ that she wanted a lot more from him than finding a way to help cure their daughter, so she just nodded and they both went to get her things from the suite, both realizing that tomorrow life was going to change drastically. All three of them living under one roof was going to be a major lifestyle change for them all.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXV**_

Tony and Anna could sense the tension between EJ and Sami even though neither one of them would admit that anything was wrong. They left Madison's room shortly after EJ and Sami arrived and once again they were divided over what they thought EJ needed to know about his true parentage. Anna was not going to give up trying to convince Tony that EJ needed to be told and Tony was just as determined to keep this information a secret until he thought the time would be right so they were at an impasse.

Madison had tried to wait up for parent's return, but she had succumbed to sleep shortly before they came back to her room. Sami finally convinced EJ to go home that she would stay the night and reluctantly EJ agreed realizing that he needed to get his home ready for both Madison and Sami's advent upon it.

That night Sami had little to no sleep, as soon as she closed her eyes she would jerk wide awake again, thinking either something was wrong with Madison only to find her sleeping peacefully for a change or wondering what EJ was doing since he wasn't there with them. Then the thoughts of what they had agreed upon doing to ensure Madison's recovery was also weighing heavily on her mind. How was she ever going to be able to go through with this without losing her mind was a mystery she was hesitant to delve into too much.

The morning finally came and when EJ appeared in the doorway, he looked as if he hadn't had a wink of sleep either. Luckily they didn't have to get into another conversation with each other due to Madison waking up and commanding their full attention. Her enthusiasm over the prospect of going home with both of them was infectious and it was good to see her so happy for a chance since she had been subjected to so much bad news lately that both pushed aside their reservations over what would possibly take place once they were all living in the same household.

The paperwork Sami and EJ received from Dr. Lykens appeared mountainous. They either had to look over to keep or sign so many forms that morning in his office that it was more than a little bit intimidating. Then they had to decide on a home health care nurse that would be allowed to come into their home to help care for Madison on a daily basis to ensure in between doctor visits and chemo treatments that Madison was being monitored closely in case she would need to return to the hospital.

The worse of it was when Dr. Lykens had Dr. Bailey one of the new gynecologists on staff at Salem University Hospital come in to speak with Sami and EJ about if they had any questions about their trying to conceive another child. Sami felt as if she would die of embarrassment before they left Dr Lykens office, now armed with ovulation kits, more information about In Vitro Fertilization in case their efforts in trying to get pregnant were not fruitful.

She wouldn't even make eye contact with EJ during the entire time Dr. Bailey had spoken to them. EJ pretended not to notice her discomfort, but all the while he was thinking if this was making Sami uncomfortable just discussing their situation with the doctor then how in the world would they get to an intimate stage with one another.

EJ just prayed that somehow he'd be able to make Sami see that he was a different man than he used to be, the man who'd made her the indecent proposal that had ultimately led to Madison being conceived was long gone or at least he hoped that man wouldn't resurface. He just couldn't lose Madison, she was his only stronghold that kept him slipping back into that dark creature he had been so many years ago. Without her, he really didn't know what kind of man he would become.

Now he knew what true desperation felt like being faced with the task of trying to help Madison survive and that somehow fate had seemed to intervene once more bringing he and Sami back into each others lives. Funny how he'd managed to push aside his desires for Sami giving up all hope of ever being with her only to have the chance resurface to have her back into his life and in his bed.

He glanced over at her as they walked back to Madison's room, they would be leaving to go home together and suddenly he didn't know if fate was such a good thing or not. EJ knew without a doubt that having Sami move into his home was going to be a challenge unlike anything he had ever known before. He only hoped he would be able to survive what he was sure would be a tempest in his home because he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take having her this close to him and losing it all again.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXVI**_

Sami thought they would never leave the hospital, but now as she pulled in her SUV behind EJ's Jaguar in the driveway, she suddenly wished they had stayed all day at the hospital instead. She felt a sense of dread wash over her; she guessed it was just the feeling of the unknown. While her daughter was as familiar in this home as she was living in the home with Sami and Lucas, Sami was the odd one out, almost like being a foreigner in a strange country.

Seeing EJ go to open up the door for their daughter who had insisted that it had been far too long since she had ridden in her daddy's fancy sports car, Sami tried to smile as Madison waved for her to come into the house with them. While her daughter was more than ready to go into the house, Sami was not.

EJ sensed Sami's hesitation and gave her a reassuring smile; one he hoped would ease her fears. He had enough fears for them both, but he would try not to let them show. He had to remember the training of his youth, never to let your innermost fears be revealed, it only weakened you, then he chastised himself for thinking that way. It was hard to push out the years of instruction his father Stefano had insisted that he learn, somehow having Sami come into his home had brought up unwanted memories he had long ago learned to suppress.

"Daddy, I'm so glad to be home!" Madison hugged him as soon as they entered the front door.

"I'm glad you are home too. How about we help your Mum get situated if you feel like it?"

"This will be fun. Is Mommy going to stay in your room with you or mine with me?" Madison asked, the innocence upon her face was endearing and it was the only thing that kept Sami from turning around and running straight back out the door with the small travel bag she had grabbed from the passenger seat of her car and leaving before she thought better of it.

"Your mum is going to stay in her own room," EJ did his best not to laugh after seeing Sami's eyes widen as big as saucers over the mention of her sharing a bedroom with him by Madison.

"Which bedroom will she stay in then Daddy?"

"How about the bedroom with the pretty view of the gardens that is located in the backyard?"

"That would be perfect!" Madison smiled with joy as she thought of the pretty flowers that grew in her daddy's garden.

Sami only hoped she would be as enthusiastic over the room as Madison seemed to be at EJ's suggestion. She pasted on what she hoped would pass as a smile and started to follow Madison's lead into what she guessed would be her room while she stayed here in EJ's home.

This wasn't going to be easy, EJ surmised as he watched Sami try to smile. He sighed and went out to retrieve Sami's suitcase from her SUV, noting that she had only packed one suitcase. He guessed she was only taking the necessities in case she couldn't stand living here. Grasping the handle of the suitcase EJ was determined that she would love it here if she only gave it time.

Then again, time was a luxury they did not have in mass quantities of at the moment. Every day that went by could mean one less day they would have with Madison. EJ shook his head, there was no way he was going to give up on helping his daughter and if he was determined that he would anything to help her, even if that help meant the risk of losing his heart again to the only woman he had ever loved.

Sami surveyed the bedroom with an appreciative glance. It was apparent EJ did nothing halfway, all the rooms in his home were beautiful and the guest bedroom was no exception. He hadn't been kidding about the view from the terrace that opened up from the French doors of the bedroom. Even though it was wintertime, the gardens were simply breathtaking.

Madison was tugging on her hand to see the bathroom adjoining the bedroom, the antique claw foot bathtub she saw made her want to squeal in delight. She had wanted one of those for herself for such a very long time, but didn't feel right about asking Lucas to get her one when they had so many other expenses in their already stretched budget. Well at least she knew without a doubt that she would enjoy taking a bath tonight. After Madison was asleep, Sami planned a long luxurious bubble bath. Then her thoughts clouded, how would she ever be able to relax in the tub knowing that EJ was somewhere in the house only a few rooms away from her?

Her thoughts were disrupted when he came into the room, his presence filling up the room that had seemed so spacious before. She quickly turned her attention back to the matter at hand, which would be unpacking her suitcase that EJ had brought into her room. It wouldn't do for him to know that she was thinking of him during her tenure in his home.

EJ had seen her look longingly at the tub before she had noticed him in the room, lord what he wouldn't like to do with her in that tub? He quickly dismissed those wayward thoughts, trying to remember that Samantha was only here to help save Madison, nothing more. He had to try to stay focused on the goal of saving Madison. This wasn't going to be a home for Samantha and him to raise children together. He needed to get his mind away from romantic thoughts of Samantha, but it was a very difficult thing to do.

"Daddy, what have you done in my room?" Madison's question resounded bringing EJ out of his reverie of Samantha.

EJ gave Sami a quick smile and then headed off to Madison's room, his daughter's laughter echoing in the hallway as he walked to her bedroom. He stood in the doorway as she looked at the new additions in her room. Just watching her was a balm to his weary soul as Madison jumped on her new bed with glee.

"I take it you like your new bed?"

"Daddy, you bought exactly what I wanted!" Madison admired her new furniture, the purple comforter which was her new favorite color, a desk that she had requested one day after she had begun kindergarten, informing her father that she needed a place to study now that she was in school.

"Thank you Daddy!" Madison came over to hug him, and he was glad that she liked it. When she pulled back from her hug she said, "I've got to show Mommy how grown up my bedroom is now."

"You don't want to get rid of your murals on your walls do you?" EJ asked, his heart sinking a bit when he realized that one day Madison would be too old for the fairy tales that they now shared with one another.

"Are you crazy Daddy? I love my murals!" Madison shook her head in a way EJ had seen her mother do many times and he smiled, thinking at least his baby girl wasn't growing up so much that she that their stories were babyish.

"Okay, just checking," EJ watched her scamper off to Samantha's room and heard her urging her mother to come check out the new things in her room. When they appeared in the hall together, mother and daughter, he only wished they could really and truly be a family together, but he guessed that he needed to give up those foolish dreams and accept that the only reason Samantha was even in his home was for their daughter, not him.

"Oh Madison, your room is beautiful!" Sami exclaimed as they walked past EJ and entered Madison's bedroom. She looked back to mouth a thank you to him when she saw how excited Madison was to have the new furniture in her room.

"Well I think I'll leave you two ladies alone for a while and I'll fix us something for lunch," EJ announced as he left them alone. Sami stayed with Madison as she continued showing her mother all the cool things in her room.

He called to them a little while later, Sami having to encourage Madison to come to the breakfast nook to eat.

"I'm not hungry," Madison argued after she had sat down in a chair, Sami taking the one next to her as EJ handed out the plates to them.

"You have to at least try to eat something," Sami urged Madison, noting their daughter's weight loss since she had begun chemo treatments.

"I'll just get sick," Madison's eyes filled with tears, she didn't want to eat, she was having fun with her mom and now they had to go and do this to her.

"Maybe not," EJ handed Madison a glass that looked like a milkshake.

Madison shook her head, she didn't want to eat. Her bottom lip began to tremble as she tried her best not to cry.

"Take a sip of this," EJ motioned to the glass he had handed Madison.

Madison gave him a wary glance as she smelled of the contents before taking a sip. Even Sami noted the resemblance to herself in their daughter seeing as she had given EJ this same look many times before.

"I made me one too," EJ produced a glass of his own that looked the same as Madison's.

"What is in this Daddy?" Madison wouldn't take a sip of it even if her daddy had one just like hers.

"I promise you there is no medicine in it," EJ took a sip of his drink; it wasn't too bad even if it did have protein powder along with Ensure mixed into it.

Madison still didn't look convinced, but she took a small sip of it. The taste wasn't exactly like a vanilla milkshake, but it wasn't too terribly bad. She took another sip before putting the glass back down on the table.

"See it isn't bad," EJ drank more of it, hoping Madison would do the same, but he'd take her even trying it as a small victory. He had read up on how you could help add nutrients back into a patient's system that they had loss due to treatments they had taken. He just didn't want Madison to get so weak that she wouldn't be able to get around. She needed all the strength and stamina to fight off this disease that she could possibly get.

"It wasn't that good either," Madison countered with defiance that both parents knew she could muster up when she felt the need.

"I'll keep coming up with different things for you to try," EJ took the glass from her, satisfied that she had least took a few sips of the drink. Thinking if it had been her mother he was trying to get to drink the concoction that she would have flat out refused.

"Madison, look you have mail," Sami pointed out trying to get her daughter to smile. Sami reached over to the counter to see the mail addressed to her daughter; Belle had brought it by to them before they left the hospital.

"There is also a card for Madison here from one of her teachers," EJ noted as he pulled a brightly colored envelope from the stack of mail he had gotten when they had returned home.

"Let me see," Madison grabbed for the envelope, smiling as she opened it to reveal a Christmas card with glitter adorned on the outside of card. When she opened it, a picture of her class fell to the table along with what appeared to be a cd. It looked liked they were singing. Madison handed the card to Sami since she could not read all the words yet. Her sight words were coming very good or at least they had until she had become sick. "Please read it to me Mommy."

"Okay," Sami took the card, trying not to frown when she realized who the card was from, a fact that EJ didn't fail to notice either.

"Who is it from Mommy?" Madison asked when her mother hadn't read her the card as quickly as Madison thought she should.

"Miss Chloe," Sami tried to keep her voice light, but it was hard to hide her disdain for the woman. "She wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and to let you know the class was thinking of you. They made you a cd of songs."

"That was so nice of Miss Chloe," EJ remarked loving how Sami's eyes started to roll over his comment of Madison's music teacher from school.

"Guess she thought she would send it to your address instead of mine for Madison," Sami wanted to gag, Chloe Lane never did anything without some kind of hidden motive behind it, too bad EJ couldn't see through her any better than what he was letting on to Sami right now.

"Maybe she wanted Madison to actually receive it," EJ replied sweetly, a bit too sweetly for Sami's liking.

"Mommy thinks Miss Chloe is a hoochie mama," Madison explained with a directness that had EJ ready to bowl over with laughter.

"Madison, pray tell what exactly is a hoochie mama?" EJ posed the question to his daughter as he tried to keep his laughter from erupting. The daggers Samantha was throwing in his direction was meant to be a warning, but he couldn't refrain from asking Madison the question.

"Well I don't know exactly, but Claire and I overhead Mommy and Aunt Belle call Miss Chloe a hoochie mama one afternoon when we went over to see Aunt Belle and Claire at their house. We asked them what it meant, but they told us not to ever call her that, so I guess it must be something really bad. The only thing we could figure out was that Miss Chloe likes to flirt with Philip which makes Aunt Belle mad. I know Claire doesn't like for Miss Chloe to be sweet to her daddy. Then again it might have something to do with her wearing really short skirts and trying to show her hooties off in front of god and everyone else in creation. Mommy said that a teacher shouldn't dress that way in front of little kids, but she didn't know I had heard her say that to Aunt Belle too." Madison shrugged her shoulders after she had finished her explanation.

EJ couldn't hold it back any longer, he howled with laugher much to Madison's confusion and Sami's chagrin. In fact Sami was blushing profusely over Madison's recollection of the conversation she had heard between Belle and her mother.

"Madison you and Claire aren't supposed to be listening to adult conversations," Sami did her best to stop blushing, but EJ continued to laugh which only infuriated Sami even more.

"Then how am I ever supposed to learn about hoochie mamas and such?" Madison asked so sweetly that it made EJ laugh even harder. "Daddy you need to stop laughing, I'm being very serious!"

"I know you are and I'm sorry sweetheart," EJ wiped the tears from his eyes. He hadn't really and truly laughed since he had found out that Madison was ill and this conversation was a welcome change even if it had made Sami want to crawl under the table from embarrassment.

"Mommy I didn't mean to make you mad," Madison leaned over to give her mother a hug, not wanting her feelings to be hurt over her revelation about hoochie mamas and what Sami and Aunt Belle thought of her music teacher.

"I'm not mad sweetie," Sami hugged Madison back, she couldn't be angry with Madison over revealing something that she had actually said to Belle, she just hadn't thought that Madison would bring up this bit of information in front of EJ.

"I'm glad," Madison took her cd from the table along with the card and picture of her class. "I'm going to go listen to the songs on my cd player."

"Okay," Sami nodded, thankful that she wouldn't have to listen to Chloe's voice and try to pretend like she liked the woman when in fact she couldn't stand to even be anywhere near her for any amount of time.

Madison left the room and Sami wished she could escape without having to look at EJ. She hated that he was doing his best to stop laughing, but she could tell it would only take something minor for him to start up again.

"I guess I'll go finish unpacking," Sami announced, not looking in EJ's direction and failed to notice he had come up right behind her.

"See you later," EJ smirked causing Sami to huff off in exasperation, but not before she heard the comment from him over her being one hot mama herself.

She tried to block out his laughter as she slammed the door to her bedroom, but it was a proving harder to do than she anticipated.


	14. Chapter 14

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXVII**_

Sami took as long as possible to unpack her belongings from her suitcase and travel bag. Carefully arranging and rearranging the few things she had brought with her. She just wasn't ready to face EJ again, wondering if they would begin trying to have another child in this bedroom or would they go to EJ's room? Then her mind took her to other places and scenarios of what they might do together and she blushed even more than she had earlier when Madison had recounted her and Claire overhearing Belle and Sami commenting upon Chloe.

She needed to keep her mind on the goal, for EJ and her to work together to have a child to save Madison's life, not for pleasure's sake, not for the binding of their souls together, not for them to have a new start at life together. She was too afraid of losing herself to EJ because she knew in the end he would leave her too. They all did in some form or another. Will and Madison were the only two people on this earth that truly loved her. And it was only that love that had sustained her over the years; she would call upon the strength of her love for them to get her through this trying time in her life.

No, she wasn't going to give EJ her heart, her body yes, but only to help Madison. For to give him her heart would be madness. Her life had never been the same since the first time she had encountered EJ standing in the doorway of his apartment with only a towel draped over his form. He had captured her interest that day and everyday since, but she had fought long and hard against the attraction, the invisible pull and tug he had upon her and now here she was in his house and she knew it would be harder than ever to keep her distance from him.

EJ had promised her they would face Madison's illness together, but Sami had never realized the full impact of that promise until much later. She would do anything for her children; as a mother she would sacrifice any and everything to ensure her children's well being and happiness. Hadn't she tried to do that very same thing to make Will happy by marrying Lucas? Now looking back over the debacle her choice had caused, she only wished she had followed her heart, but there is where her problem lay, could she trust what her heart was trying to tell her concerning EJ?

Well she had wasted enough time in here. Where was the Sami Brady that was afraid of nothing? The girl who could tackle any and every situation with determination and single-mindedness of purpose? She desperately needed to find that girl she had abandoned long ago because she knew she needed her fearlessness to help her. She was doing this for Madison, to save her child, nothing else.

She caught her reflection in the mirror before she left the room and mentally argued with herself. Her heart told her to quit lying about her feelings for EJ, but her mind was not about to let her heart win. EJ had quickly agreed with her that night in the restaurant, he was only doing this for Madison's sake too.

Sami gave her reflection a glare, she had enough to deal with and she didn't have time to launch into a full debate over her wants and needs. She was going to do this and hopefully by this time next year Madison's health would be on the mend. She could not lose her precious baby girl, which was the goal she had to keep in mind. Not hoping for a loving future with EJ, she needed to wise up and quickly. They really didn't have time on their side.

Still mulling over things as she left her bedroom, Sami failed to notice EJ and Madison in the living room until it was too late.

"Capture her matey!" Madison ordered as she raised her makeshift sword into the air, her purple bandana wrapped tightly around her head.

"As you wish Captain," EJ pulled Sami close to him, so close that she lost her breath the instant her body had been brought up against him, feeling the strong arm encircling her waist as EJ held her tightly.

"Whoa, what are you guys doing?" Sami sputtered, trying to break free from the strong hold EJ had upon her, so close that she could feel the buttons on his shirt pressing against her back.

"She has the treasure, I'm sure of it," Madison claimed, ignoring her mother's question entirely.

"Are you sure about that?" EJ asked Madison, his breath tickling Sami's ear he was so close to her.

"Positive," Madison confirmed with a nod of her head.

"You better let me go EJ," Sami whispered under her breath as she tried to wiggle free from his grasp.

"Who is EJ? I'm the Daring DiMera, the first mate, and this here," EJ pointed to Madison with his free hand that held his own sword, "is Mad Maddie, ruler of the seven seas and captain of this ship."

"That's right. I'm Mad Maddie and I want the treasure you are hiding from us right now!"

"I have no treasure hidden," Sami caught onto the game Madison and EJ were playing, but she wished EJ would let her go, he was doing things to her that she had been trying to argue against herself in her room only minutes before.

"Please stop with you lies," EJ tightened his grip upon her, loving the feel of her trying to wiggle free from him.

"She is the leader of the mermaids," Mad Maddie proclaimed, loving the game even more now that her mother had gotten roped into it when she had walked into the living room.

"I believe you are right," EJ agreed, dropping his sword to the ground and using his free hand to touch the silken tresses of Sami's hair.

"EJ," Sami gasped, trying to get an elbow into his side just so he would let her go, but so far she was having no luck.

"He doesn't answer to EJ or to you, just me," Madison shrugged her shoulders and smiled impishly. "I'm captain of this ship."

"How can I lead you to the treasure if the Daring DiMera does not let me go?" Sami asked, hoping that Madison would want to find whatever treasure she thought she was hiding more than having EJ hold onto her.

"Well he can let you go for now, but only if you lead us to the treasure you have been hiding from us." Madison signaled for EJ to let go of his hold upon his captive with a wave of her sword.

EJ reluctantly let go of Sami, it had been fun watching her try to squirm away from his grasp, but he guessed it was for the best because she was driving him wild just being that close to him even if they were only playing a game.

Sami tried to compose herself, she had felt every inch of EJ literally while he had held her against him and now her thoughts were definitely going on a more wayward path than she wanted them to go. She had to find some measure of self control where EJ was concerned and fast or she was going to lose this war for her heart for sure.

"I think this queen had hidden the treasure in the drawing room," EJ suggested to Madison, causing his daughter to stop and think about it.

"You may be right," Madison walked behind Sami and pointed her play sword at her. "Lead the way oh Queen of the Mermaids."

Sami hoped EJ had something in the drawing room or Madison would surely be disappointed. Their daughter had such a vivid imagination that her games and stories somehow seemed to take a life of their own. "Mad Maddie, I really don't know the way to the drawing room."

"That's right, sometimes I forget that you don't know where all the rooms are, but I only think you are stalling about where the treasure is," Madison rolled her eyes at Sami and took the lead to the drawing room.

Madison finally went to a door that was in another part of the house and when she opened the door she gasped in surprise. "Oh Daddy, I can't believe it!"

"I knew she had to have that treasure buried somewhere,' EJ couldn't have picked a more perfect moment to reveal to Madison that he had bought her a baby grand piano that she had told him she wanted after going to an Elton John concert with him a few months ago. At first Madison had been skeptical of going to the concert with him because she had wanted to go see the Jonas Brothers, but her father had assured her that if she gave it a chance that she would love the music of Elton John and she had after listening to him sing a few songs.

"EJ, you bought her a baby grand piano?" Sami couldn't even fathom the concept of buying such an expensive gift for their child.

"She wants to learn how to play piano." EJ shrugged. "Samantha, I was going to give it to her for Christmas, but this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it to her. I hope you don't mind."

Sami looked over at Madison sitting on the piano bench, not touching the piano yet, just marveling over the keys and trying to take a peek into the piano's inner chamber since the lid was propped up with the staff that held it open.

"EJ, it is just that a piano is so expensive," Sami tried to explain it to him, but she could see EJ wouldn't get the point she was trying to make.

"The money doesn't matter to me, can't you get that Samantha? I just wanted to make her happy."

"You don't need money to do that, all she needs is your love," Sami countered back, hoping that she could make him see that EJ didn't need to buy everything Madison claimed she wanted.

"She has my love, my whole world revolves around her," EJ stated with a sigh, he never knew how much he could love someone until Madison was born. The emotion he felt for his child was clearly etched upon his face.

Sami felt a pang of longing, if only she could have a fraction of the love EJ had for Madison, but she pushed that thought away, she wasn't here to stake a claim on EJ's heart, now she only wished she hadn't of been so foolish all those years ago because she could have been sharing in this love with EJ instead of trying to run away from it. But things were the way they were for a reason and she had to accept that she had thrown away the opportunity long ago to see the love shining in EJ's eyes for her.

"I can see where you are coming from, but can we agree to talk about it before you buy any more big purchases for our daughter?"

"That is fair, I will talk to you first and I will try to refrain from buying out the store the next time Madison wants something," EJ gave Sami a wink, "but I won't make the same promise concerning you."

"EJ what have you done?" Sami arched her brow, trying to decipher exactly what EJ meant by that comment.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see my dear, after all Christmas is a few days away," and with that EJ would say no more which only increased Sami's curiosity tenfold.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXVIII**_

The rest of the afternoon went by rather swiftly. Madison's excitement over actually coming home and being able to be in her own environment had taken a lot out of her physically. She was extremely tired and irritable and was falling asleep at the dining room table before they even finished with supper.

EJ carefully picked up his frail sleeping daughter, she was a light a feather, and weighing much less than when she had been checked into the hospital a few weeks beforehand and this knowledge frightened him. He hoped bringing her home was the right thing to do, he wanted the best care for her and there were times when he didn't know if the doctors had all the answers like he used to think they did before his child had become sick.

Sami had watched EJ gingerly carry their daughter to her bedroom, listening to EJ softly whisper his words of endearment to the child he loved more than life itself. She only wished she hadn't been so blind to see what a caring and loving man he had turned out to be, there was no doubt that EJ was capable of loving someone when she saw him with their daughter in moments like these. Now she only prayed there would be many more of those precious moments for them both to share and enjoy.

Sami drug herself out of her reverie and began to clean up the dishes; it was nice to be doing the mundane things of running a household, even if this wasn't her household to run. She made quick work of cleaning up, wrapping up a few items they could use for leftovers for another day, loading the dishwasher, wiping off the kitchen counter. She looked around and thought of what might have been, and then shrugged her shoulders, she had been wishing for too many things lately and she needed to snap out of it. She flipped off the light switch and for a moment almost went to Madison's room, but she stopped herself, she needed to let EJ have some time with her; this was their domain, not hers.

She went to her room instead, when the thoughts of taking a bubble bath called out to her once again. She had coveted that same style of bathtub that was now hers to use in the guest bed and bathroom and since it seemed like Madison was out for the count, maybe she would have time to take a long overdue soak in a tub.

She tossed off her clothes, thinking she would pick them up later. She pinned her hair up so as not to get it wet and set off to start what she hoped would be a time for her to regroup and get her nerves off edge. She desperately needed a break and hoped this would be exactly what she needed.

It had been ages since she had been able to relax and tonight would be perfect choice since they were home from the hospital. Sami thought as she started to run the bath water, testing it to see if it was warm enough, when the temperature suited her, she let the water run fully filling up the tub. She had found some honeysuckle bubble bath in one of the cabinets and had sighed with utter contentment as she lowered her body into the refreshing water of the tub.

Yes, this was just what she had needed or so she thought until she heard him walk into her room, quietly calling her name.

"Samantha, are you in here?" EJ's voice was right outside of her bathroom, he was only a few steps away from her.

Sami held her breath and tried not to let out a squeal. Oh god EJ would be in here in just a moment because she had only pushed the door back a little bit, not enough to be closed. She had been so intent on taking a nice bubble bath that she hadn't even thought to grab some towels, so here she was totally naked her body barely covered under a thin filmy layer of opaque bubble bath bubbles.

She closed her eyes shut and prayed he would walk on, but when she opened one eye sure enough EJ was standing there in the doorway, the look upon his face one she couldn't really define. Could he be an uncomfortable as she felt at the moment as a blush started to cover her face?

_Maybe I can just slide in the water and when I look back up he'll be gone_. Sami thought to herself, she was about to take the plunge when his voice stopped her.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion," EJ began haltingly; the vision of her in the tub literally took his breath away. She was so beautiful and so close by he just couldn't make himself leave the room.

"It's okay," Sami slid down another inch hoping the bubbles were providing enough coverage for her, but she knew it was a weak cover-up at best. She lifted a watery arm from the tub and gestured, "I was just taking a bubble bath. When I saw the tub, I couldn't help myself."

"I'm glad you are enjoying it," EJ tried to keep eye contact with Sami, not wanting his vision to stray below the waterline although the temptation was becoming a bit too much to bear. "Really I'm sorry for coming in on you like this, I know you need your privacy and …"

His voice trailed off, all he wanted to do was climb in there with her, but it was too soon, she would flee if he tried and he didn't want her to leave before she even spent her first night under his roof. But he was tired of fighting this battle, he wanted her in his life, he wanted her for his own, but he had to be patient, but maybe she would allow his this one liberty.

"EJ?" Sami looked at him uncertainly, she had hoped he would go on, but he seemed rooted to the spot from where he had discovered her taking her bubble bath.

"Samantha, may I do something for you?"

"What?" Sami almost sat up, but caught herself from the action when she felt the water slosh a bit at her sudden movement.

"You have done so much for Madison, being at the hospital non-stop ever since we've heard the news, looking after her and even me, trying to keep me from falling apart, especially the other day at the church, and I want you to know how much I appreciate all you do. So may I please do something special for you?"

"EJ you don't have to do anything for me…"

"If you will allow me to wash your hair," EJ walked closer to the tub and leaned down beside it, taking a pin from Sami's hair and taking one of her tresses and rubbing it in between his fingers. "Your hair is so beautiful, just like you."

"EJ, I don't know…" Sami's felt her heart would stop EJ was so close to her, yet he was still so far away.

"Please, I won't hurt you. I promise."

Sami nodded her head, "Okay."

"Really?" His voice was soft as a whisper in her ear.

"That would be nice," Sami reached back and undid the rest of her hair allowing it to fall behind her back as she shifted up in the tub. She didn't know if he would climb into the tub with her or not. He didn't, only stayed right behind her, taking a pitcher and filling it with warm water to wash her hair. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the luxurious feel of EJ's fingers caressing her scalp as he washed her hair.

Sami was lost in thought as the minutes passed; her murmurs of pleasure were evident as EJ continued his ministrations, lathering the fruity smelling shampoo in her hair, rinsing it, running his fingers through her long tresses when he was done. When he was finished he handed her a bathrobe for her to wear and Sami didn't know whether to be grateful or disappointed when EJ kissed her forehead and whispered a sweet _thank you_ before leaving her standing alone in her new bedroom.

_**The Gift **_

_**Part XXXIX**_

The minutes passed slowly by after EJ left her bedroom. Sami grasped the robe tightly around her body that EJ had given to her after he had finished washing her hair for her. Her throat felt almost like it was closing up on her as she struggled to come to grasp with the many emotions that were swirling in her mind.

She lost track of time and walked to the window, staring out at the moonlight thinking of how many times she had done this in the past wishing she were with EJ instead of Lucas and now that she was here in his home with him, she was still no where closer to being with him than she had been before. It was true she was conflicted, fighting with herself over what she truly wanted. She just wanted to stop fighting for a change.

_Why can't I just go to him?_ She asked herself silently, wanting some of her inner strength to seep back into her body. What she had wished for years was well attainable in her grasp, if she would only take the necessary steps to reach out to him. She had seen the light die in his eyes the night she had said she was only in this for Madison. Why did she want to keep lying to him about her true feelings for him? She wanted him, god she needed him now more than ever, but could she do this? Could she tell him the truth?

A shooting star blazed across the night sky and before she even thought about it, she closed her eyes and wished upon it. Taking a deep breath she turned from the window and decided it was now or never.

_She was going to EJ._

A smile graced her face as she went to the dresser where she had placed her few belongings, she reached to the bottom of one of the drawers and retrieved a long, sheer, white lacy beribboned gown, one she had never worn before. Something she had seen and bought on a whim a long time ago, but one she had pushed aside saving it for a perfect time and opportunity that didn't ever present itself when she was with Lucas.

Now as she hugged the garment to her, she knew exactly why she hadn't ever worn it for Lucas because when she had bought it that day, her mind had been on another man, EJ. She had chastised herself later on that day for making the impromptu purchase, but as she carefully tied the many ribbons that barely held the piece of lingerie together she was glad that she had saved it for this occasion.

Her stomach felt like it had a hundred butterflies in it as she went back to the bathroom to locate a hair dryer to dry her hair. It took a few minutes to get her hair dried and she brushed her hair until she was satisfied that EJ would like how she styled it. She wanted him to run his fingers through her hair again. She wanted many things from him, things she had never had enough courage to voice out loud to him, but she was determined that tonight she would face her demons down and tell him all the things she had kept hidden in her heart, locked deep down inside her soul.

She put just a tiny dab of lip gloss upon her lips, to keep from biting them she told herself as she opened the door into the darkened hallway and prayed that her newfound courage wouldn't fail her. She quietly made her way to EJ's room, thankful that the house was dark.

She almost stopped and turned around what seemed like twenty times or more until she reached his bedroom door. With shaking hands she twisted the door knob and opened the door.

It was dark in his room, only the light of the moon streaming into the windows. She saw that he was in his bed and she almost turned to leave the room before he noticed her presence until she heard his voice calling out to her.

"Samantha, do you need something?" EJ sat up in his bed and reached for the lamp beside his bed, when Sami stilled his hand, preventing him from turning on the light.

The sheet fell from him and Sami gingerly took a seat upon his bed, "EJ, I need to tell you something."

"What darling?" The endearment falling from his lips so easily and Sami loved hearing him call her by that name.

"This was easier when I was in my room," Sami started, and then stopped, her train of thought suddenly leaving her as she eyed EJ in the moonlight. He truly was magnificent and once again she hoped she wouldn't lose her nerve.

"What? I must say you have me intrigued," EJ scooted a bit closer to her, noticing the lingerie she was wearing, one that teased his senses and had his imagination running wild over what he saw in her lovely appearance.

"I just want you to know…" She stopped again; this was so hard to do, much harder than she even anticipated. She shook her head, wanting the right words to come to her, but she had so many years of denial built up inside her, that it was difficult to let them out.

"Know what?" EJ reached over to brush a stray strand of hair back from her face to look at her more closely and his fingers lingered on her face.

"EJ I want…"

"What do you want sweetheart? I'll give you anything your heart desires if you'll just tell me." He moved closer to her, his voice a mere whisper in her ear.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, she thought of all the times she had wished to be with EJ, and this time he was here, it was real and she didn't want to mess it up. She opened her eyes ready to tell him. "EJ, I know that sometimes we get close and then I do or say something to push you away, but I don't want to push you away anymore. I want you, I do and not just for Madison's sake like I've been claiming, but I'm scared. I'm really scared that this thing going on between us will hurt us even more if I give into these feelings. My heart calls out for you, but I'm not sure if you will hear me or even want to hear me so I pick fights with you so that I won't do this..."

_And with that she reached out to him and kissed him._


	15. Chapter 15

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXX**_

When their lips touched, it was like Sami had struck a match to a fire. EJ felt the raw need pouring out of him for the woman whom he was kissing. She was such a wicked combination of fire and ice and he knew he couldn't ever get her out of his system even if he tried. All he wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, savor her and show her the love he'd kept hidden away in his heart for so long. Having her in his arms like this was what he'd craved for ages. He didn't want to think or analyze it; all he wanted to do right now was to feel alive and be with her no matter what the cost.

His hands touched her face, caressing the contours of her face almost as if her were a blind man trying to learn her features from touch alone. Sami was overjoyed as EJ responded to her initial kiss now feeling as if she were drowning in the sea with the man before her being the only means of safety and shelter from the storm. She clung to him and his sweet kisses and caresses as if her life depended upon it.

He pulled her closer; he could sense her opening up to him more with each passing second. EJ hadn't even considered it to be possible that Sami could want to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. Hearing from her the admission that she longed to be with him, that her heart was calling out to him struck him with amazement, to know that she wanted to be with him not only to help save their precious daughter, but also that she was longing for more to exist between was a true miracle indeed for him. He wanted everything from her, he wanted to show her how good it could be if she'd let him into her heart and now thankfully she was going to allow him the chance to prove his love to her.

There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but the pure rush of sensations in their kisses was also clouding his mind. How could he form the words to tell her how much she meant to him when she was barely clothed and ignited a fire within him that scorched his skin wherever she laid a hand upon him?

Breathing became a necessity, albeit a minor one at the time, so he concentrated his efforts to her neck pressing slow, slightly open-mouthed kisses to the delicate skin there. He could faintly smell traces of the shampoo he had used earlier on her in the bathtub, and the same intoxicating fragrance that uniquely belonged to Samantha. It was a heady combination; one that made him take a quick moment to breathe in her essence, to imprint it in his mind to never forget it. He edged down a little, kissing the place where her lingerie had come slightly loose exposing a few inches of her shoulder, a gentle curve that suddenly fascinated him. He let his tongue flicker over the spot, tasting her, and smiled against her skin when he sensed Samantha's quick outtake of air from her lungs.

Feeling more confident, EJ took his hands to the first satiny ribbon that enclosed her gown and slowly began to pull at the string, marveling over the effect as the gown opened up a tiny bit to reveal the tops of her breasts. The sheer white lacy garment she still had on providing only a flimsy barrier to the secrets that lay beneath the fabric.

Oh he fully intended to take his time with her tonight. How many nights had he dreamed of this moment of having Samantha come to him? He prayed this wasn't so sort of a hallucination because the longing to make her his was so strong. He had to caution himself to go slow, to not frighten her with the depths of his emotions that he felt for her. Sometimes the lust he had for her even frightened himself.

But it was more than lust, it was love and he wanted to tell her that and then she leaned in closer to him and he couldn't say a word, only hoped his touch would provide her with enough information for now until he could tell her how much he cared for her, had cared for her all this time they had been apart. How it had been pure agony to stay away from her, loving her from afar while trying to pretend indifference to her whenever she came into his vicinity.

He looked at Samantha trying to gauge if he'd gone too far by untying the first of the ribbons and was relieved to see her smiling back at him. He wasted no time after seeing her smile; he wanted to see more of her, all of her. He tugged at the next ribbon, his fingers softly trailing down as more of her creamy skin was revealed by his efforts. Another was untied and another until he reached the bottom of the menagerie of ribbon and finery of the gown and pulled it away from her shoulders, allowing it to pool where she sat on his bed, involuntary goose bumps forming on her flesh at it hit the night air in his bedroom.

Gone was the jaded look he normally showed the world, a reverent look EJ bestowed upon Sami that was almost foreign to her until she recognized that she had seen this look in his eyes for her when they had been friends, when she had been flirting with him with her kisses, when he had made promises to her after she hadn't married Austin that he would always be there for her, before she had found out that he was a DiMera and had tossed him out of her life with a fierceness that she had been determined to keep him at bay from her ever since. Why hadn't she realized this beforehand? He had cared for her all along and she had pushed him away time and time again, refusing to see the love in his eyes for her because her pride wouldn't allow herself to come back to him until now.

She tried to catch her breath as he looked at her, but it was difficult. With a trembling hand she reached out to the drawstring on his pajama pants. She paused a moment, knowing that they were about to embark on new territory, the only time they had been together before when Madison was conceived wasn't like this and suddenly memories of that fateful night flooded her head even though she tried to stop them from coming.

EJ could sense her hesitation and watching her face he knew as surely what she was thinking without saying a word to him. He covered her hand with his own before she could untie the string and said, "Samantha, it is okay. We don't have to go any further, just knowing that you wanted to come to me tonight is enough. I can't ask for more than you are ready to give to me. I'll never force you to do something again that you do not truly want to do."

"EJ, I do want you. Do you really want this too?" Her voice trembled, there was so much riding on his answer to her.

"Samantha, I want you in my life, but if taking this to the next level isn't something you are ready for, we can wait. I don't want to scare you away again. I can't take not being able to have some part of you in my life beyond being Madison's mother. I have waited so long for you. That is why I never got involved seriously with anyone else. You are the only woman for me, can't you see that? I love you, I always have and I always will whether or not we end up taking this further. You have my heart; I can't fathom not loving you. When you said that your heart was calling out to me, I felt a joy arise within me that I didn't know was possible."

"Oh EJ, we have been so foolish. When I think of the years we have wasted, both wanting to be with the other, but our pride preventing us from seeking the other out." Sami brushed his hand away from hers with the other and continued what she had started to do earlier.

"Samantha, don't do this unless you are sure," EJ said haltingly, her hands releasing the bind to his pajama pants to reveal himself fully to her as she tugged the fabric down past his hips after he obliged her by shifting up for a moment in the bed.

"I'm sure EJ." She also removed the rest of her gown, so that now there was nothing hiding them from one another. For a few moments they took the time to just look at one another, not yet touching again, then the temptation was too much for both of them and EJ reached out to touch her skin, reveling when she arched closer to him. She rubbed her body next to his, causing them both to groan, the fire starting to grow between them as their skin touched one another, both completely naked with one another for the first time.

He sought out her lips again, evoking feelings that he could not say at the moment, wanting to convey to her how much she meant to him by his touch alone. They kissed, while their hands traveled upon each others body, both seeking to learn from the other in their passionate caresses became bolder with each passing minute.

EJ kissed her until he could no longer stand it, if he didn't get to make love to her soon; he would surely die from the longing that she built up inside of him for her.

"EJ, please I need…" she began as EJ shook his head slightly in response to her request.

"Patience sweetheart," he replied as he began to work his lips down her body, his tongue tracing infinitesimal patterns over her body. He wasn't going to rush through this, he wanted her to realize how long had had waited for her and how much better it would be for them both if he prolonged the anticipation. He wanted this to be a night that neither of them would ever forget as long as they both lived.

"Screw patience," Sami hissed as she rose up against his chest. If he didn't take her soon, she was going to scream.

"As long as you want this…" he let his voice trail off.

"I do," she replied honestly.

"Are you really sure about this Samantha?" EJ questioned not wanting her to look back on this with regret later on.

"More sure than anything in my life," she whispered her acquiesce to his question.  
Sami wanted to tell him that this was incredible, that he was making her feel things she had only imagined before and then she lost all ability for speech. Sami trembled against him, the emotions of desire rushing forth like a rising tide in a storm swept sea. EJ, in a moment of loving tenderness, brushed his mouth against her.

The magic of their embrace became urgent as his own need started to spiral out of control. He wanted to make this feeling last as long as possible, for her to feel the pleasure rushing through her. He paused, taking in her features as they rode the waves of passion together in their loving embrace.

EJ waited, keeping his own desires in check as he watched; sure he had never seen anything so captivating as Samantha was while they made love to one another. She truly was his soul mate in each and every sense of the word, as they touched one another, both not knowing where one began and the other ended.

Finally they reached fulfillment together and were fully spent as he finally relaxed against her body, snuggling against each other in utter contentment in the afterglow of their lovemaking until they both drifted off to sleep in one another's arms.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXXI**_

Upon waking, EJ's heart swelled up with more love for Samantha than he could have imagined. Samantha continued to sleep peacefully within the shelter of his arms. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and watching her sleep like this was something he had dreamed about countless times in the past. Last night was fantastic; it was more than he had believed was possible as he reached down to press a kiss upon her cheek; she shifted in her sleep trying to snuggle closer to his warmth.

When they had kissed last night, he hadn't quite envisioned that they would end up making love. While last night was wonderful, he still couldn't help but be nervous this morning. What would Samantha think when she awoke and fully realized what they had done with one another?

He hoped that this wouldn't strain their already tentative steps that they had made at repairing their long lost friendship. EJ had sorely missed his best friend he had in Samantha before things had gone astray. He realized how much he had come to enjoy her company as a friend once more and he didn't want to lose her friendship again too.

He wanted so much from her; would she want all the things he wanted too? He still had so many questions and now with them making love, it seemed like there were more things he wanted to know. He wanted to wake up with her in his arms each and every morning from now on, maybe he'd get the opportunity to do just that if he didn't mess this chance to prove his love to her up.

While Samantha hadn't admitted her love to him last night, surely she had to feel that way. Well he'd spend each and every day making her feel special and loved and hopefully one day she'd feel secure enough in their relationship to tell him the words he longed to hear from her.

But right now feeling her warm body pressed so snugly up against his body, he felt the stirrings of renewed desire flowing through his veins. Maybe they would have time to savor the early morning together before their daughter woke up. He leaned down to press a kiss upon her neck, causing her to move in her sleep and murmur something he couldn't quite make out.

Smiling he pushed her hair aside to gain more access to her lovely neck when he heard a knock upon his door.

"Daddy, may I come in?" His daughter's soft voice asked as he saw the door knob start to turn.

EJ rose up immediately from raining kisses upon Samantha, his eyes desperately searching for his pajama bottoms. Luckily he spotted them tossed beside the bed and he grabbed for them. He had no clue on how to explain Samantha's presence in his bedroom and didn't even want to contemplate trying to come up with something to help her understand why her mother was in his bedroom this early in the morning.

"Just a second sweetheart," EJ jumped up out of bed, tugging to pull on his pajama bottoms and almost tripping over himself as he tried to get them on as the bedroom door swung wide open to reveal Madison carrying one of her teddy bears in the crook of one arm.

Her eyes widened over seeing her mother in the bed and she cast her father a confused glance. "Daddy, what is mommy doing in here?"

"Well, um you see, ah…" EJ struggled to come up with some plausible excuse, but words seemed to fail him at the moment. He ran a hand through his hair that was sticking up in various places on his head, but he couldn't say anything. He'd never had to deal with this type of situation before because he had never had anyone over when Madison was here in their home.

"EJ?" Sami stirred in her sleep, hearing voices in the room, and she was about to sit up when Madison decided to crawl on the edge of the bed.

"Mommy, wake up!" Madison raised her voice a slight bit; she always was a morning person while her mother definitely was not. Madison loved coming in to wake up her mother in the mornings singing to her sometimes to make her get up from the bed.

Sami's eyes popped open and she tugged at the sheet, instantly realizing she heard her daughter's voice. Sure enough Madison was perched at the edge of the bed, EJ standing there at the foot of the bed behind her giving Sami a bewildered look over their daughter's head.

"Mommy, what are you doing in Daddy's bed? I thought you wanted your own bedroom," Madison started to move closer to her mother causing Sami to grasp at the sheet for dear life, there was no way she was going to be able to explain being naked in EJ's bed.

"Uh well…" Sami stammered making EJ feel relieved that some of the heat was off him for the moment.

"You and Daddy sure are acting funny," Madison looked back at her dad then returned her attention back to her mother.

"Sweetheart, why don't you come and help me prepare breakfast?" EJ asked, hoping this question would quickly change the subject, but apparently Madison was not ready to go into the kitchen yet.

"Mommy, did you forget your pj's?" Madison asked scooting up closer, trying to get a hold of the sheet to see when EJ deftly swooped in and picked her up from the bed, causing her to giggle.

"Let's go my little sprite," EJ suggested carefully placing Madison over his shoulder making her laugh even more.

"Daddy…"

"We have to make your mother breakfast. I think she is starving."

"Well you better find her some clothes because she will be freezing…" and the rest of their conversation was cut off from Sami's hearing as EJ quickly took Madison down the hall, making her laugh even more over something he said.

Sami felt her face burn crimson as she got up from the bed. She went to EJ's closet trying to find a shirt anything to cover up with. There was no way she was leaving the bedroom in her gown that she had worn into his room the night before. Luckily she found what looked like would be a comfy cotton polo shirt; she hastily pulled it over her head and then went to his dresser drawers hoping to find a pair of boxers. She got a pair and tugged them on, trying to get her hair out of her eyes and then headed to the kitchen hoping that Madison would have her mind on something else by the time she entered into the room.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXXII**_

Sami was rolling up the sleeves of EJ's polo shirt trying to get the edges rolled up enough so they wouldn't cover her hands, while her hair felt like it was all in her eyes as she struggled to pull the mass up into a suitable ponytail away from her face. Her thoughts were scattered in a million different directions, and thankfully EJ had sprinted Madison out of his bedroom before she could ask either one of them any more questions.

Questions her mother had no idea how to answer. There really was no manual to help you with answers your inquisitive five year old may ask when she finds you naked in what isn't even your husbands bedroom even if the man is that particular five year's father. Sami shook her head; there was no way she was going to be able to explain something she really couldn't explain to herself.

Last night had been incredible, more than she had ever imagined, but now in the light of day, had she made a mistake going to EJ last night? While she knew that she had been the one to suggest that they try to have another child with each other to help Madison out, the enormity of the situation hit her even more this morning.

She had liked being with EJ last night way too much for this to be a casual thing between, it was like they were playing with fire and she was sure they were both going to be burned. What about Madison? She needed to take some time to think, but the longer she stayed away from EJ and Madison the harder it would be to go into the room with them.

Well she'd go in there right now, then the question really hit her what was she more afraid of allowing her pride to get into the way of things or really letting EJ know how much she loved him? Why was taking a chance on finding true love for her so damned hard?

She walked into the kitchen and was greeted by a sweet sight. EJ had Madison sitting on top of one of the counters as he helped her stir some kind of batter into a bowl, both laughing together as Madison wiped a smudge of batter from her cheek. They were in their own world oblivious to their surroundings as they talked and laugh and once again Sami wondered what all of their lives would have been like if she had only followed her heart years ago.

There was no doubt EJ loved Madison and he had told her he loved her too, but promises made in the heat of passion were one thing and in the light of day could be something else entirely. She'd just play it cool and see what happened, maybe that was the best thing she could do at the moment.

She didn't have to wonder what to say to EJ or Madison either for that matter when a knock at the door caused them all to look up from their various musings.

"Are you expecting company?" Sami asked EJ as he gently put Madison back down from the counter into the floor.

"No, I don't know who it would be," EJ didn't have a shirt on, but thinking it would take more time to retrieve one from his bedroom the person at the door would be standing outside in the cold long enough already so he opted to go to the door dressed the way he was in only his pajama bottoms.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Will on the other side of the door, "William, good morning, come in from the cold."

Will stood at the door, not sure about EJ's invitation to come in seeing as how he was half dressed, "Is my mom around?"

"She is in the kitchen, let me get her for you," EJ hurried off to the kitchen to tell Sami that Will was here. It looked as if Madison was about to launch into another round of questions for her mother and Sami looked relived to see EJ come back into the room.

"Who was at the door?" she asked, Madison right on her heels with the batter covered spoon in her hand waving it around the room like one of her many magic wands that she possessed.

"Your son," EJ said as Sami gave him a worried look and quickly headed off to the foyer.

"Will's here?" Madison threw the spoon onto the cabinet and started to follow her mother when EJ held his hand out stopping her from leaving the kitchen.

"Madison, we may need to give William and your mother a few minutes alone before we go see him," EJ didn't have a good feeling about Will coming over so early in the morning, especially since he had never darkened EJ's door before today.

"I want to see Will," she crossed her arms in front of her and gave EJ a look that said she meant business and he almost laughed aloud over how much her behaviorisms were like her mother's.

"I promise you can go in there in a few minutes, but right now you have to help me finish cooking these pancakes as soon as I get on a shirt," EJ said tapping Madison on the nose even though she didn't give her father a happy look over his decree that she would have to wait to see her older brother.

"Will, what are you doing here?" Sami asked before thinking how the question sounded.

"Good morning to you too Mom," Will had come inside the doorway, but the door behind him was still open almost as if he were planning a hasty exit.

"Where are my manners," Sami closed the door and reached out to give Will a hug. "Good morning Will."

Will took one look at his mother's harried appearance and of course with her wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers along with what had to be one of EJ's shirts, and from EJ's appearance of being half dressed when he answered the door, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know what was going on between his mother and EJ. While he knew his parents were going to get divorced it was a bitter pill to swallow realizing how quickly it looked as if his mother was moving on.

Sami pushed back an errant strand of hair that had fell from her lopsided ponytail and her heart fell, she knew that why Will had suggested that she go find happiness, he really hadn't thought about her being with EJ beyond helping out Madison.

"Will, I can explain," Sami began only to have Will hand her a folder.

"Mom, what you do and who you do it with is really none of my business," Will was trying to be grown up about this situation, but it was more difficult than he thought it would be realizing that his mother might end up being with a man he had detested almost from the first moment had had met him, even if that man was the father of his younger sister.

"What is this?" Sami asked, the folder feeling heavy in her hands.

"It's divorce papers from Dad," Will shrugged and started to turn to leave when Sami's voice stopped him.

"I just didn't think I would get them so soon…" her voice trailed off and Will didn't have it in him to leave his mother standing there all alone even if he really didn't know what to say. When Uncle Mickey had suggested that it might be easier if he delivered them to his mother than from some unknown courier Will had agreed, but now he wondered if it wouldn't have been better to let someone his mother didn't know give her the papers.

"Well he said you would want them pretty quick and I guess maybe he wanted this divorce as much as you did," Will didn't know what else to say, it felt like whatever he said it would only make things sound worse than they really were at the moment.

"I'll need to look over them before I sign them," Sami said, her voice faltering a bit.

"Uncle Mickey said to take all the time you needed and to let him know if you needed any revisions on the documents before you started divorce proceedings."

"I will," she nodded her head showing that she understood what Will was telling her.

"Mom, I need to go, but I'll call you okay?" Will needed to get out of here before his mother broke down on him because he really didn't know what to say or do to help this situation. While he was still angry at his father for cheating on his mother, he wasn't all gung ho on having EJ become a big part of his life either.

"Okay," Sami led him to the door and watched her son walk away. She hadn't expected to receive these papers so soon, she thought maybe after Christmas was over that they would start to get things going about handling a divorce, but apparently Lucas wanted to get out of this marriage even more quickly than she had wanted to do so.

She felt numb as she found a chair to sit down, her hands trembling as she opened the packet of documents and didn't even realize EJ and Madison had come into the room until Madison cried, "Where is Will? I wanted to see him."

Sami looked up at Madison and put the papers beside her not really wanting to look at them anyway, "I'm sorry sweetie; Will had to go back to work."

"Daddy you said I could see Will if I let Mommy talk to him first," Madison gave EJ a withering look and stomped off to her room upset that she didn't get to see her brother especially since this was the first time he had ever come to her daddy's house before.

EJ and Sami looked at one another, both hating that Madison was upset, but knowing that this wasn't a friendly visit from Will. Sami got up and left the papers in the chair, "I'll go talk to her, make her understand that Will can come over some other time, maybe I can talk him into coming over on Christmas because Madison doesn't need to get out in the crowds since the chemo wears her immune system down."

"Okay," EJ let her go to their daughter and when he looked over to the chair where Sami was sitting saw the reason why Will had come over. He picked up the papers and before he even got a good look at them, knew why Samantha looked so upset too. She had just been served with divorce papers.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXXIII**_

Sami paused at Madison's bedroom door to knock upon it before entering her room. She saw Madison sprawled on top of her bed, crying as if her heart was broken. Sami made her way to the bed and sat down upon it.

"Honey, please don't be upset," Sami said softly, not wanting Madison to cry.

"I wanted to see Will," came the muffled reply from Madison as she shifted away from Sami's touch on her arm.

"I'll get Will to come back over for Christmas," Sami said, hoping that Will would come visit his baby sister even if he had gotten out of EJ's house as quickly as he possibly could just a few minutes earlier when he had delivered her the divorce papers from Lucas.

Madison raised up and gave her mother a disbelieving look, "Mom, I know Will doesn't like my daddy, but if he would only give him a chance he would see that he is the best daddy in the entire world. My daddy is way better than his will ever be."

"Madison, you don't need to say things like that about Lucas, he is your step-father," Sami sighed, knowing that Madison would never be content to leave EJ's home since she thought they would both be living here from now on.

"So it's okay for Will to not like my daddy, but I can't do the same?"

"Lucas has been good to you Madison," Sami reminded her daughter something that she already knew even if she didn't want to admit it.

"And daddy would be good to Will if he would ever give him the chance," Madison sat up on her bed, refusing to let anyone say anything bad about her father in her presence.

"Maybe he will be able to give him a chance," Sami said, hoping that Will could find it in his heart to be around EJ even if only for his sister's sake, "we just have to give Will some time to adjust to our new situation."

"Why did Will come by if he didn't want to see us?"

"He needed to give me some papers," Sami said trying to scoot closer to Madison, but she refused to let her mother come nearer to her than she already was at the moment.

"What kind of papers?"

"Well Lucas and I are going to get a divorce and we have to agree upon everything to dissolve our marriage."

"Does that mean that you and daddy are going to get married?" Madison's eyes lit up with a sparkling of true happiness that Sami hadn't seen a lot of from her since she had gotten sick.

"Honey, I don't know," Sami reached out to Madison once more, but still she refused to let her mother comfort her.

"You would be happy with daddy," Madison declared wholeheartedly. "I know you would. We could be a real family."

"Sweetie, I…" the words failed Sami. She didn't want to get Madison's hopes up about the future because she honestly had no clue herself as to what the future would hold for them all.

"Mommy, please you have to marry daddy, please." The plea in her daughter's voice was almost more than Sami could bear. Madison finally reached out to grasp her mother's hand.

How could she even begin to explain the complexities of her and EJ's relationship to their daughter when she didn't even know exactly where she stood with EJ?

"Mommy, please do this for me, please!"

"Sweetie, your daddy hasn't asked me to marry him and I don't know if he is even thinking about marriage to me. Right now I'm still married to Lucas."

"But you said Will brought you papers so that you wouldn't be married to Lucas anymore. Just sign them and then you can marry daddy."

"It's not that simple," Sami shook her head wishing Madison were a bit older so that she could understand the situation better, but then acknowledged to herself that age did not always allow you to see clearly as she thought of the years she had tried so diligently to reunite her own parents after their divorce from one another.

"Mommy, I'm worried if I don't get better that daddy will be all alone and I can't let that happen. Please Mommy, please promise me that you won't let my daddy be alone," Madison's tears started anew.

"Honey, don't say things like that, you are going to get better," Sami pulled Madison into her arms, trying to calm her down. "These treatments you are taking are helping you to overcome the leukemia."

"Mommy, I know how sick I am. I don't feel good anymore. That is why I need to know that daddy will be okay if I'm not around to take care of him."

Madison's words hit Sami with a force that she hadn't realized possible. How could she help alleviate her fears? Fears that no child needed to have to worry about, but Madison had always seemed to be far older than what her age deemed. EJ had commented once to Sami in the hospital that Madison had an old soul in her and now more than ever that sentiment rang true. It just wasn't fair that their child was worried about things that most children didn't even have to consider at such a young age. Then again, most children were not going through what Madison was facing.

When Sami didn't reply to her request, Madison climbed into her mother's lap and laid her head upon her shoulder. Sami felt her daughter's tears seep through the shirt she was wearing and hugged her close to her.

"Mommy, please promise me that you will look after daddy, please." Madison clung to her mother as tightly as she could.

"I promise Madison," Sami vowed and kissed her daughter's cheek unaware that just outside the door EJ had heard their entire conversation even though he had not made his presence known to either one of them.

With tears rolling down his face over hearing his daughter's pleas to Sami, he turned away, walking down the hallway determined not to keep Samantha tied to him over what Madison had asked of her mother. Knowing if Madison was taken away from him that Samantha wouldn't have to worry about him at all because he would be long gone from Salem; for without his daughter in his life there was nothing that would be strong enough to keep him here anymore.

_**The Gift**_

_**Part XXXXIV**_

Lacing up his running shoes, EJ was ready to go for a run. He needed to clear his mind, especially after hearing Madison's pleas to her mother. He couldn't stand the pain of hearing her sweet little voice beg her mother to help look after him. Once again he was struck with a deep and abiding fury, this feeling of utter helplessness was something he was not accustomed to and did not enjoy.

He had to get out of there, just for a little while and in his haste to escape he left neither a note or said a word to Samantha. Why did things between them always have to be so damned complicated? Late last night and even this early morning he'd had hope for them, but now he couldn't say he believed in much of anything at all.

The coldness in the air was brisk, but EJ didn't care. He welcomed the cold along with the feeling of exhilaration as he pushed his body harder and harder, but try as he might he couldn't run fast or far enough to escape the torment of his thoughts because they held his deepest darkest fears of losing his only child.

He loved Madison with a love he had never imagined possible when she was born and that love had continued to grow and blossom with each and every new day. He kept running trying not to think about what his life might be like without her sweetness to color his life with something new and different all of the time. Every day he spent with Madison was a day he was in awe that somehow out of all the bad things he had done in his life that having his child with him made the bad things recede into the background.

He wanted to believe he was a changed man, one that wanted a better life for his daughter, but was fate trying to tell him that he was only allotted a brief period of time with his child? He couldn't fathom not having Madison and maybe he and Samantha weren't meant to be anything more than just being her parents. He loved Samantha, but could they make things work? He didn't want to hurt Madison, to give her false hope of being a family when he knew things were so volatile with Samantha. Could they take the risk without them tearing one another apart? His past with Samantha was a compilation of many things, and while there had been many endless days and night that he had cursed ever meeting her, he knew that she had irrevocably changed his life from the first moment he had laid eyes upon her.

He needed a plan, but no plan was forthcoming as he continued to run, his side starting to get a stitch in it from the intense exertion of his run. Finally he stopped in his tracks, bending over slightly with his hands on his hips trying to get enough air into his lungs. His thoughts were jumbled, he loved Madison, and he loved Samantha, but was love enough?

He took a few more seconds to try to reign in his thoughts for the future and decided when he got back to the house he and Samantha needed to have a talk about what they needed to do for the future. A future that looked very uncertain to him at the moment.

Madison had cried so much that she was worn out from the stress and the strain. Sami took a wet washcloth and carefully washed her face, telling her precious daughter to rest and that when she felt like it they would make another attempt at breakfast or try having brunch.

After making sure Madison was calmed down and settled Sami went in search of EJ. She really wanted to see him, to feel his strong arms around her after the shock of having Will deliver divorce papers from Lucas was starting to wear off a bit.

"EJ, where are you?" Samantha asked, but received no response from him. She looked around, but saw no sign of him anywhere. She went to the kitchen the remnants of their uncooked breakfast littering the area. She took the pancake batter and scraped out the bowl, thinking they would have those another day. So far this had not been the kind of morning she had anticipated after making love to EJ the night before.

She stopped in her tracks, yes she had made love to EJ, but they desperately needed to talk. There were so many things to be discussed, but most importantly she needed to tell him how she really and truly felt about him. She was going to tell him that she loved him and see how things went from there.

She felt a weight lift from her soul at the very thought. Now all she needed was to find EJ. Where in the world was he?


	16. Chapter 16

The Gift

**The Gift**

**Part XLV**

EJ finally returned home an hour later determined to let Samantha know that she was under no obligation to him whatsoever no matter what had transpired between them the night before. He should have known better than to think they had a chance to find happiness together as a couple. Once again he'd be hit with the harsh reality that his daughter was probably dying and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

His mood was dark; even all the exertion of the miles long run he had accomplished did nothing to brighten his outlook. He was so tired of it all; the past month there had been bad news upon bad news with little of the good to lighten the load. Then Samantha had come to him last night and for a brief moment he had dreamed the impossible, that he would finally have a family, one with the woman he loved, his precious daughter and even the hope of adding more new members of their family somewhere down the road.

Pausing a moment before he entered his home, he wished things were different, but sadly things never were easy for him and he guessed this time would be no exception. Well he'd ease Samantha's conscience of feeling beholden to him just because Madison had asked her to do so.

It broke his heart to see her approach him with a welcoming smile, why it almost seemed surreal. Here was Samantha, in his home, but she wasn't to be his, in his dreams she was his to love, to hold, to whisper sweet nothings into her ear at the most inopportune moments to make her laugh, but it was past time for him to stop believing in dreams.

"EJ, come in," Sami scolded lightly as she opened the door wider for him to walk into the house. "I have been wondering where you have been for quite some time."

"My goodness Samantha, you almost seem worried about me," he tried to return the smile she had so quickly bestowed upon him as soon as she had saw his face, but the effort was too much for him.

"I was worried," she moved closer to him to inspect his features and was surprised when he quickly retreated away from her outstretched hand to him. She looked at his outfit and deduced he had gone running from his appearance. "Why didn't you let me know you were going out for a run?"

He ran a hand through his hair, soaking wet from his run. "Sorry, I didn't know I had to check in with you before I did things now."

"You don't but, I was hoping we could talk. I mean we really need to go over some things and I…"

"Just let me get a shower and then we can talk." EJ averted looking her in the eye as he made his way past her to go into his bedroom.

Sami was tempted to follow him into his room. EJ was acting strange, not like himself at all, why it was almost like he didn't want to have anything to do with her. As the thought started to form in her head, she was shaken; surely he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him. Then why was he acting so coldly towards her?

No, he wouldn't turn away from her, not after last night. Determined to get to the bottom of this before things got so messed up between them Sami marched into his bedroom, ready to tell him how much she cared for him, that she loved him as much as he loved her.

She entered into his room, hearing the shower in his bathroom already running. Apparently EJ had wasted no time into getting a shower. She stood outside his bathroom door, should she go in or wait until he was finished? The longer she stood there the more her fears grew that EJ didn't want her that last night had been a huge mistake and now he was trying to find a way to let her know that things weren't going to work out between them. Sami felt hot tears start to form, although she refused to let them fall.

She realized that she was nervous, literally shaking and decided that she couldn't wait for EJ to get out of the shower. She turned the knob on the door and opened it, the opaqueness of the glass brick shower shrouding his form from her eyes as the steam from the shower enveloped the room.

With her heart beating in her chest wildly, she reached for the shower door and opened it, the spray of the water hitting her the instant she stepped into the shower with him.

"What are you doing?" EJ asked, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"We need to talk and if you won't get out of the shower I was going to come in here with you instead."

"You are so crazy Samantha. Why couldn't you wait for me for a few more minutes?" His tone was sad and that bothered Sami even more than his apparent lack of interest that she had joined him in the shower.

"I just couldn't," she said tugging at the wet boxer shorts she was wearing and tossing them over the top of the shower, then followed with the now heavy sopping wet polo shirt that she quickly ridded herself of too.

"Samantha…"

"How about we talk later? Madison is asleep and suddenly talking is the last thing on my mind at the moment," she placed a hand on his chest and used her other hand to wrap around his neck, bringing his mouth to hers and all thoughts of EJ protesting her being in there with him suddenly fled as he pulled her in closer to him while the shower continued to run water over them both.

**The Gift**

**Part XLVI**

This time their coupling was not sweet and slow, it was urgent, their hands were all over one another, pulling and tugging each other closer while the warm water cascading over their slick bodies.

No words were needed, her mouth was pressed against his, open and hungry as their tongues collided with one another. Sami moaned as his grip on her tightened and he picked her up under her arms to nestle her against the shower wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, seeking him out and was rewarded for her efforts when he thrust himself deeply inside her.

"Ahh, I want more," she urged greedily before she took a love bite upon his neck.

"Don't want to hurt you," was all he was able to get out as Sami connected back with his mouth, her tongue sweeping back in to drink from EJ's decadent mouth, one that she had dreamed of being upon her body night after night and now he was with her, bringing her to new heights of delight with each movement of his body.

"You won't," she assured him, shaking her head to let him know that she wanted this from him, after breaking their kiss. She needed this, wanted to feel alive within his arms, this feeling of losing complete control and only focusing on her primal need was exhilarating.

Wisps of pleasure started to whirl through her as EJ continued driving into her harder and harder. "Yes, that's it, right there." She bit down upon his shoulder as the beginnings of her orgasm began to radiate throughout her body.

Her bite sent him over the edge too, causing him to find release in their intense encounter. His breath coming in gasps as he sought her eyes wishing with all his heart that he could claim her heart, but knowing it would take much more than he would be able to offer her. They needed to talk and instead wound up having sex. This was not how he had wanted to start off their conversation at all.

Dreading the inevitable, he pulled out from her, reaching to turn off the shower as he lowered his eyes from her and quietly said, "We shouldn't have done this Samantha."

Sami felt like she was in a fog, how could EJ be saying such a thing after they had just had such mind blowing sex with one another? It didn't make any sense to her, she tried to comprehend what he'd just said, but her mind somehow couldn't wrap itself around the concept.

He stepped out of the shower stall, grabbing them both towels to dry off with as he kicked his discarded wet clothes that Sami had been wearing when she had stepped into the shower with him to the wayside.

"EJ, I don't understand," was all she said after taking the proffered towel from him as she hastily wrapped it around her body, trying not to notice the wet droplets of water that still clung on his body as he also wrapped a towel around his form.

He turned to face her, "We needed to talk, not jump one another's bones. You're just making things more difficult than they already are at the moment."

No, things weren't going the way she hoped at all as she felt her ire rise within her from his words he'd just spoken to her, why it almost seemed as if EJ was doing his best to pull away from her.

"So you didn't want me in there a few minutes ago?" She asked sharply, knowing from past experience that she would go for the jugular if need be to protect her from being hurt again by any man. She had taken too much crap from men in the past, to allow it to start all over again.

"I'm not saying that, but wanting you has never been my problem Samantha. You know that, but we have Madison to consider now and we have to…"

"Have to what EJ? Be careful that she doesn't see that we are having sex with one another?"

"No, I don't even know what we are doing and we can't go into whatever this is with blinders on and hurt Madison in the process."

"I would never hurt Madison! She is my child!"

"She is our child," EJ corrected, "and so far we have confused the hell out of her by what she saw this when she came into my bedroom this morning!"

"I didn't mean for her to see us together," Sami said, her voice taking a quieter tone, knowing that what EJ was saying was right. They both had to be on the same page with one another and right now it didn't look like they were anywhere near being to that stage.

"She just has questions and what are we going to tell her? Samantha I heard her asking you to take care of me if something happens to her, but I can't hold you to that promise. If something happens to Madison I won't be here anymore."

"Won't be here? What are you saying EJ?"

"I'm leaving Salem if Madison…"

"Don't you dare say it!" Samantha's eyes blazed with a fury that was building quickly with each passing word coming from EJ.

"If she dies, I won't stay here! I will not torment myself with the constant reminders of what I have lost! I'm sorry if that bit of information pains you Samantha, but can't you see that for once in my life I'm trying to be completely honest with you?"

"Your honesty sucks!" She threw back at him along with the towel as she tried to push past him to get out of the bathroom, thoughts of telling him that she loved and needed him flying far away from her as the crashing reality hit her that he didn't love her enough to stay if Madison was no longer around.

He caught her before she could leave the bathroom, his hand encircling her arm, "You see this is exactly why I'm so hesitant about our relationship Samantha. We can't go off on one another like we do because now Madison can get caught in the crossfire and I can't bear to put that precious child into the path of our misguided efforts of trying to build something together."

"Misguided efforts! You jackass! I don't know what I was thinking coming in here after you! I can see this was a huge mistake. Let me go!" She wrung her arm in an attempt to release herself from his grasp, but he refused to let go of her.

"I can't, not before we come to some sort of agreement about what we need to do next."

She stopped her fighting against him and gave him a wary look, uncaring if she was naked or not in front of him, "And what sort of agreement do you propose we do EJ?"

"I'll help you expedite getting the divorce from Lucas and we marry one another."

"Why would I want to marry you? You conceited bastard! You think I want to jump from one hell to another?"

"We marry to give Madison something to live for, something for her to fight for because if the thought didn't occur to you while she was begging you earlier to help look after me after she died that it sounds like our daughter has given up wanting to fight for her life and I'll be damned if I let that happen! I will do any and every thing in my power to make what little time she may have left a happy one and if you dare cross me on this Samantha, I will make you pay for the rest of your life."

"Now that sounds like the EJ I used to know and despise," Sami jeered, wishing with all her power that she could hurt him as badly as he was hurting her now with his words, ones that were shredding her soul.

"I knew you didn't have it in you to care about me, that your true feelings would arise given time, so darling all I am asking of you is to give our daughter and everyone around us the performance of a lifetime and convince them all that you could actually care about me. I know it will be a stretch for you, but you are a very good deceiver. God knows I've seen it many a time in our relationship with one another."

She stepped closer to him and ran a hand up his chest, "Don't you worry EJ, I'll have everyone fooled thinking that I'm madly in love with you, but just know it will all be an act, nothing more."

"You just do what you do best; lie darling and all will be fine." EJ assured her, his eyes now a hard glint.

She leaned up closer to him so that their bodies were touching, "But EJ, you have forgotten one very important thing."

"What's that?"

"If I get pregnant with another child to save Madison's life, what are you going to do then? Just toss us out on the street after our daughter gets the stem cells from the other baby?"

"No, but I don't think I have it in my to give my love to another child, I just can't risk it, I won't. I can't live my life with the fear of losing them too."

"I feel sorry for you EJ, you really don't know what you are missing out on, but rest assured I will play the part of the loving and devoted wife to you, just know that as soon as I get pregnant, that is it, no more physical interaction between us, unless we are out in public or where Madison can see us."

"Agreed, we only do what we have to do to help Madison."

Sami's hands itched to slap him, but she kissed his cheek instead and then proceeded to walk proudly out of the bathroom with her head held high, determined not to ever let EJ know that she loved him. She'd walk on coals of fire before she'd ever let him have the privilege of the knowledge that she cared for him.

**End of Book I, Promises will pick up where The Gift ends.**


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